Life Before Paradise
by Bovine Beauty
Summary: HOTR When Grace is awakened by a horrible nightmare in the middle of the night, an old wound is reopened after she remembers some of the earlier events of her miserable life before she came to Patch of Heaven.
1. Chapter 1

**Life before Paradise**

_All characters, except those not mentioned in the movie are the property of the Walt Disney Company and are used without permission. Even though I do believe that they deserve much better than what they get recently these days._

Summary: When Grace is awakened by a horrible nightmare in the middle of the night; an old wound is reopened after she remembers some of the earlier events of her miserable life before she came to Patch of Heaven. This takes place a month after the movie.

Rated: PG

**Chapter 1**

It was another beautiful warm night in the southern state of Colorado. The moon was glowing, the stars were shining. It was even a perfect night for the coyotes to go on a howling spree from miles away. Not so much has happened since that no-good Alameda Slim and his henchmen were now in jail. It had been about a month after the three dairy cows Maggie, Mrs. Calloway, and Grace had saved their farm from being auctioned off to Slim posing as a fake business man. They even won 1st prize medals at a county fair. Their home, Patch of Heaven was a sanctuary to all farm animals that had no fear of the slaughter house. They were a family.

All the animals on the farm were dreaming sweet dreams of peace and happiness without any worries whatsoever. It seemed as though nothing would disturb their rest until a loud thump was heard from the cows den. The sound had awakened Audrey the chicken, Jeb the goat, and Ollie the pig.

"What in carnation is going on!" scowled Jeb grumpily, shaking his head. "Can't a goat get any sleep around here?"

"Oh don't be such a grouch," Audrey scolded, even though she was still a little sleepy. "I heard it too and it didn't sound purty." She scratched under her beak thoughtfully.

"Maybe something is wrong with the girls," whispered Ollie, stepping out from the pigpen. "We should check on them to see if everything is all right just in case."

"I agree," said Audrey.

"You two go ahead if you want," said Jeb with a yawn as he stretched his legs. "Wake me up when its morning." With that he turned back to his pen and went back to sleep.

"Forget him," said Audrey putting her wing on Ollie's shoulder when she noticed the small frown on his face. "Let's go check on the girls."

Ollie nodded. They carefully sneaked across the dirt path not wanting to wake everybody else up, especially Jeb who was grumpy enough for the time being. The doors to the cows den were locked and they were too short to reach the handles.

"Now how will we know what's happening?" asked Ollie worriedly.

"We could press our ears against these walls and listen." Leaning against the wall she thought she heard some sniffles coming from the inside. Something was wrong because one of the girls was crying.

"Or maybe we could peek through this hole here." Ollie pointed his hoof to a hole through the door.

"Good idea," added Audrey shrugging her shoulders. She was the first to peek inside the hole. She was right: what she observed appeared to be Maggie and Mrs. Calloway attempting to calm and ease Grace who seemed to be sobbing feverishly beneath the pile of hay with sweat oozing down her face.

"It looks like Grace is having some sort of a nervous breakdown," Audrey whispered with a shocked look.

"What, how did it happen?" asked Ollie anxiously.

"I don't know. Either she's sick or she woke up from a dreadful nightmare. But I ain't ever seen her like this before. Something is terribly wrong, but we can't get in and the ground is too boisterous for us to dig."

"Well then what do we do if we can't go in?"

"We just listen in on their conversation."

* * *

"Grace Honey, do you want to tell us what's wrong?" asked Maggie rubbing Grace on the back still trying to calm her hysterical behavior. "I had never in all my life witnessed anybody who would be this terrified of a nightmare."

"You haven't?" asked Mrs. Calloway who still had her hoof on Grace's front left leg.

"No. Most people or animals would either wake up with scarred looks on their faces or scream in a sort-of no hysterical kind of way."

"What's the matter Grace? You can tell us anything. We are always here by your side."

Drying a few last tears, Grace finally came to her senses as she lifted her head from the hay but still trembling. She gazed at her two friends through her red dreary eyes. She never thought something like this would happen to her, especially in a nightmare. But what was it about the nightmare that made her hysterical like that?

"Um, it's kind of a long story," she said through a limp tone.

"We're not tired," They both replied.

"All right, as you know, when I was a young calf I had an old owner named Lewis Wesley who was not a kind man. He was mean, brutal, arrogant, ruthless, abusive, and ill-tempered. Whenever I would get in some kind o' trouble he would haul me into a corner of the shack so he would whip me at least thirty times in a row. After that I could barely stand or walk for the rest of the day. Then he would sometimes tell me that I…..that I was nothing but a worthless….. dumb animal that deserved to be punished. Whenever I refused to eat the awful slop he would feed to me, I would either be hit twice across the face or jolted in the stomach so hard, the pain would run through my brain. Sometimes he would shove mouthfuls of that filth down my throat making me sick to my stomach. The crows outside would poke fun at me while I was on the floor groaning helpless and…and…." Unable to finish that last comment, Grace broke off once again and sank her head into the hay sobbing hysterically as Maggie and Mrs. Calloway vainly sought to hush her and calm her.

"Grace its all right now girl," Maggie tried to convince her that there was nothing to be afraid of, but the poor heifer only continued on with her unsteady cries. Maggie, growing a little impatient shook both her shoulders hastily. "Grace, stop it this instant; you wanna wake up the whole farm bawlin' like that?" That snapped Grace out of it. Wiping her eyes, she eased her sniffling and answered, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't bear the thought about being tossed around like an old shoe." Her face was still staring down on the hay.

Maggie sighed; she was never too good with this kind of situation. "Listen Grace, whatever else that dastardly fellow did, he ain't gonna hurt you no more now that you've got us."

"Right," added Mrs. Calloway. "Even if he came back to harm you, he'll have to answer to us. We'll deal with him just like we took care off Slim. Now please calm down for now."

"Just try to describe everything that has happened before you came here," replied Maggie. "Didn't you at least have any friends? What else happened that made that old rascal want to punish you so severely?"

"I'll try to remember; though I am not good at giving out information. But I remember one Sunday morning."

* * *

_Splash! "Wake up ya lazy bovine!" demanded Lewis who threw a bucketful of dirty water on top of Grace who had already awoken to the unpleasant smell all over her body. Another dismal day in this unhappy shack and there was not even the slightest bit of warmth received from this uncaring owner who would come in almost everyday to threaten Grace with his cruel punishments and sharp objects. Lewis was a tall round-bellied muscular man with extreme sunburned hair, a long thick mustache, and a fat broad short beard. His mouth was like a slit made from a sharp knife and his eyes were cold as stone. "Now stand still while I brush ya," he would tell her. Grace made no movement whenever he would brush her. All she could do was stare blankly at the murky walls of the shack. When he was finished he accurately left the shack without setting one eye on Grace for even a second as he shut the doors and locked them tight. Letting out a heavy sigh, Grace sunk her heavy body low to the hay relieved that she didn't have to face her owner's wrath, for now. _

"_Look on the bright side," said a small voice from under her nose. It belonged to a runty grey mouse named Sampson. "At least he didn't kick ya or nothin'."_

"_When do I get to go outside?" Grace did not feel the least bit cheerful, but was relieved that she had a little friend at her side. Kind Sampson who was always there to keep her company and comfort her whenever she received a brutal beating or tongue lashing. "Stayin' inside is borin'." She looked up at the high roof where only a few bits of sunshine shone through the holes. "How come he always wants to keep me from going outside?"_

"_I have no idea" Sampson answered. "He's the most absolute craziest man I've ever set my beady eyes upon."_

"_Haven't you a family?" Grace asked. _

"_I did once," said Sampson. "I remember how they were kind and good to me. My Uncle Joe would sometimes give me advice whenever I had a problem and always found ways to cheer me up. But then came the horrible rainstorm. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't reach them. The currents drifted them far away. The last place I remember castin' up upon is what appeared to be a local cattle stockyard. And seein' a fat man purchasin' a calf. Despite my uncle's advice on how not to meddle in other affairs, I followed. "_

"_Where they are now, aren't they still alive?" asked Grace still wondering about his family. Still quite young, she had no idea that Sampson was talking about how he met with her. Now it had been at least two months since that day and already Grace was starting to feel a bit weak from the lack of nutrients she needed to be healthy. The goods that Sampson snuck in from the nearby town and from Lewis's kitchen had helped her out a little, but what she really needed was milk which proved to be a bit of a problem because Lewis drank almost nothing but wine (must be the reasons why he's nuts) and poor Sampson wasn't strong enough to roll a heavy milk tank all the way from town to where they were located. It might have taken a whole family of mice to roll it over. He tried doing it once until some customer had caught him by the door and kicked at him. After that incident, he didn't want do anything like that again._

"_I don't know really," answered Sampson. His voice began to sound low. "But if they are, then I hope there're alright wherever they may be." Deep down he wished he were with them now, but another part of him still wanted to stay with Grace. He would have hated to leave her behind at the hands of the crazy loon. What deeply troubled him most of all was how he would get her out of this sort of mess. Sure he could stand up to the big brute but because he was small, he was just as afraid of him as Grace was._

_Grace smiled a little for her friend. Having somebody like him lean close made her feel wonderful, despite how often she was mistreated. _

_BBOOMM! The doors burst open revealing Lewis with a rather reprehensible smirk on his round face holding in his hands a long leather material. _

"_I'll talk to you later," whispered Sampson as he scampered to his little hole. Whatever Lewis held made her stomach feel a bit queasy._

"_Alright, listen up bovine!" He announced in a lofty tone. "This here thing that I hold is called a whip." He struck the whip against a bucket of coal causing it to topple off the stool from which it was standing. The sound of the whip had scared the wits out of Grace causing her to back up against the wall as she shook with fear. "Scared aren't you? Well you should be." He laughed as he flung the object over his left broad shoulder. "Because that's what happens to cows who don't obey." He began stomping toward her position like a trained general leader with the whip still in hand. Grace turned her head away from him while still shaking; closing her eyes tightly preparing for a blow or something. But instead of a swat, she felt a strong grasp from under her chin forcing her head up to stare into those cold stone eyes of his._

"_You look at me when I'm talkin' to you!" He demanded. "Remember what I said; if you ever commit a single act of disobedience, I'll scourge ya with the whip ever so slightly you'll wish you've never been born. Understand!" Grace could only nod slowly. _

"_Good girl," he said releasing her chin. "I got to go to town now, so stay here and don't go off anywhere or there will be trouble for you." He sneered then stomped out of the shack locking the doors behind him. _

"_That does it," said Sampson, darting out of his hiding hole shaking with fury barely keeping his dignity. "That crazy old geezer has gone too far this time." He stopped shaking then turned his direction to the already confused calf. "Listen, Grace I'm goin' to help in any way I can. This is not the right kind of space for a young calf to be kept in and he should know that; all cows like you should be outside in the sunshine where they should be."_

_Grace looked down at him and asked: "You mean I can go outside?" She felt excitement rise up inside. Maybe finally she can see what everything is like outside._

"_Of course, but first I need figure out where else we're to travel after leaving here. Have I ever broken a promise to you?" He folded his arms across his chest sternly. _

"_Oh no, not at all," answered Grace as she shook her head. Then she lowered her head down to his position and whispered: "But how can we? He always keeps the doors closed." That comment created an expression of disturbance on Sampson's mousy whiskered face. _

_He had forgotten about the locked door situation. "I don't know yet," he scratched the back of his ears hiding his confused look with a grin. "But I will find a way no matter what. I promise you that."_

_For the rest of the afternoon, he examined every area of the shack in search of at least a secret door or a hole big enough to allow them to make their escape. This seemed like it would take a while, but Sampson refused to quit._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Whoa Nellie was he really that wicked as you say he was?" Maggie asked in a somewhat I don't believe it kind of way.

"I believe what she says is true," Mrs. Calloway answered in a stern tone. "Haven't you been listening at all?"

Maggie, a bit taken aback at that statement said, "Of course I've been listening. I have never met any owner who behaved like a wild animal, not to mention runnin' and rampin'."

"So what else happened?" Mrs. Calloway asked not wanting to start a pointless argument while Grace was in the middle of her story.

"We began our first escape."

* * *

"_Grace, come see what I found!" Sampson called from behind a piece of wood. What could he have found that was filling him with joy? Grace strolled over to see._

"_What is it?" She asked._

_Sampson pushed the thin wood aside to reveal a secret limited door. It seemed as if the door had been hidden for ages._

"_What is this door doin' here?" She wondered out of curiosity. _

"_Beats me, but I think we might be able to escape through here. If only I could reach that handle up there." He leaped repeatedly intending to unlock the door, but Grace placed her hoof on the handle which opened with a click._

"_Now why didn't I think of that?" said Sampson jokingly, shrugging his shoulders. _

"_Wait here a moment." He poked his head out and could only see the backyard filled with wine barrels, pitchforks, and other farm tools. Quietly, he tip-toed outside to check every corner of the barnyard. Silence outside and nothing but the tumbling tumbleweeds strolling by from every corner. Lewis was no where in sight. Moments later, he came back with relief. "The coast is clear; let's get goin' before he returns." He bounced on top of Grace's head. She poked her head out to have a clear view of the outside area. A proud smile drew across her face. Fresh air and a wonderful opportunity to be out of the shack._

_Despite her fears, Grace felt determined to escape with her life in search of a cruelty-free environment. But there was one thing wrong after heading out: they forgot to close the door!_

"_Suppertime bovine, come and get it before…" Lewis jolted in a half hour later returning from town, only to find that the shack was empty. Throwing the pail down in a fit of fury with his fists curled up, he exploded. "Alright come on out wherever you are!" Searching every corner, he found something suspicious behind a thin piece of board. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He folded his muscular arms across his chest and smiled wickedly. "Looks like my threat wasn't frightenin' enough, but all that's about to change." What could he possibly mean by that? Swiping the whip from a latch, he shoved the front door aside and muttered under his breath. "I doubt she'll get past the Yeller Gang." Then he followed the trail._

* * *

_The Yeller Gang were a group of ruthless bandits who robbed banks, trains, shot at Indians, gambled and terrorized towns with their gunshots. Their hideout was located about fifteen square blocks away from Lewis's home. No one has ever been able to track them down since their cleverness helped them to avoid capture. It wasn't too long before Grace and Sampson met up with them. How did it happen? While the two companions were still walking amongst the canyon, dusk had fallen and they were a little anxious about where to go next. _

"_Which way should we go now?" asked Grace worriedly. The gigantic canyons gave the two companions a feeling that they would collapse at anytime._

"_Hhmm," mumbled Sampson thoughtfully as he scratched underneath his chin. This wasn't like any other situation he'd ever been in before. "Maybe if we keep goin' straight we'll be able to find a town or a train station." _

_But when they reached the end of that line, what they heard next was insane laughter. _

"_Quick, hide!" Sampson whispered roughly in the calf's ear. Grace obeyed his command._

_Hiding behind a large boulder, what they viewed appeared to be a group of five men in black leather clothing sitting around a campfire drinking liquor and telling stories about their lives._

"_And that's how I became an outlaw," one of the men ranted before gulping liquor down their throat. The men burst out into more laughter frantically between belching and joke-telling. What are these men; are they lost too? Grace thought curiously. Sampson took another quick glance at the men's campfire place and what slept beside their wagon was a big dog; a Doberman pinscher with a rope around his neck tied to the wagon. Great, just what they needed at this moment. Five low-lives and their pet guard dog who were right in front of their path. He couldn't possible lead Grace through here; there had to be a way around them without alerting that big dog. _

"_Grace let's go around, these folks are bad news," Sampson whispered anxiously from behind her left ear. _

"_But you said to go this way?" Before the mouse could answer, Grace mistakenly stepped on a small twig. SNAP! It broke in two. _

_The sound brought one of the men's attentions and awoke the sleeping Doberman. He was feeling wide awake and ready to attack what came near. He let out a deep bellow growl._

"_Who's out there?" one man arose from his spot. The others turned to the sound. Nobody answered; but they were not too convinced as the dog kept growling viciously._

"_Simmer down boy," one man ordered, placing his hands firmly on the dog's shoulders. Someone was definitely watching them._

"_I'd better go check it out." He took up his pistol from his belt and went to investigate. Slinking further into the narrow canyon, the two frightened animals shivered like leaves in the wind as they saw a shadow on the ground forming closer and closer along with the heavy sound of cowboy boots and clanking spurs. For several seconds the man still with his pistol in hand glared suspiciously for any unusual echo; but all he could recently hear were crickets chirping and coyotes howling from miles away. "I could a sworn I heard something, or someone" he muttered turning his head back and forth; still nothing._

"_Maybe it was just a jackrabbit," The man shrugged his shoulders and turned to walk back to the campfire. Grace panted and quietly slid from out of her hiding place when the shadow shrunk. She leaned back against the canyon walls and followed Sampson's direction to go back the way they came._

_But before they were half way out, the sound of a swoop broke the silence. A lasso was soon thrown unexpectedly toward her direction and wrapped around her neck pulling her back harder. She yelped in pain and fear as she landed on the ground with a thud causing Sampson to fling off rolling into a sticky mud puddle._

"_Or maybe it was a cow!" snarled a voice mockingly. Grace turned around. The one who threw the lasso turned out to be the man who investigated. He must have been waiting for her to appear while only pretending to walk back. His eyes took on a sharp glint staring madly at the shuddering bovine. "Look what I found here boys!" he scoffed pulling Grace roughly to the campfire. _

"_Well, well, well," sneered the leader of the gang with his arms across his chest smoking a cigar. His eyes were like cold steel, his skin was dark tanned, across his face was a thick dreadful scar, and his nose was long and pointed. "Now what's a purty little thing like you doin' way out here?" He leaned down so his face was in front of Grace. He blew a smoke cloud at her face, making her cough a few times. Chuckling, he snagged the rope to her neck attempting to drag her toward the campfire. Filled with fright, the young bovine tried with all her might to pull back. _

"_I could use a little help here!" The rest of the gang grabbed for the rope that held her. The more Grace resisted, the tighter her bond became. Because of that, she was gasping for air leaving the men to drag her close to the fireplace. One of them smacked her behind the neck causing her to fall and hit her snout on the ground. She groaned in pain from the hard landing. Lifting her head up, she thought she felt something oozy trickling from her nostrils. She gazed down on the ground and discovered it was a few drops of blood. Stunned, she tried to rise up but a boot was placed on her nape forcing her back down with the Doberman growling in her face. _

"_What should we do with this here spy boy?" The man holding her down called out, aiming his pistol at her. The Doberman bared his sharp pointy teeth awaiting his decision. Anyone could tell from the look on his sleazy grin that he was in the mood for something tasty. He licked his lips. _

"_I say we skin her and cook her." One suggested with a razor in his hand._

"_I say we brand her and sell her."_

"_I say we reduce her to ashes." _

"_Why don't we kill her first then have ourselves a tasty meal?" _

_While the men continued on with their little argument on what to do with her, a mysterious gunshot was fired in the distance breaking their ranting. Behind the cloud of dust appeared Lewis with his gun in left hand. At first the men were worried that they might have been discovered by the authorities; but once they saw who it was, they were relieved. _

"_Lewis Wesley!" The leader called out surprisingly. Lewis noticed him and walked toward their location. "We didn't think you'd be cumin'. It's been a long time. So what brings ya here?"_

"_I came here looking for a lost cow; ya haven't seen one wanderin' around lately have ya?" He asked in a high tone with his arms crossed._

"_Oh ya mean this here cow?" he pointed at Grace who still lay flat on the ground trembling. Once she heard his voice, she had a feeling she was in a whole lot of trouble now. He caught her outside. "We caught her snoopin' round a while ago. But didn't know she was yours." Lewis glared down on Grace. He smirked cunningly once he saw she had received a nosebleed. _

"_No need to apologize," he replied stepping toward Grace. "I believe she's learned her lesson. So I'll just be takin her home now." Tugging the rope, Grace sat up with her legs quivering. "Come along ya mangy bovine!" he demanded tugging harder on the rope forcing her straight off the ground and closer to him. "Oh and one more thing," reaching into one of his pockets, Lewis pulled out what appeared to be a hundred dollar bills and tossed it to the leader of the gang. "Ya didn't think I would have forgotten about our agreement have ya?"_

"_Thanks drop by any time!" He tucked the money into his black jacket. That old Lewis, he thought. He sure knows how to slip a few tricks without anyone suspected anything. No doubt; he use to be a juvenile delinquent and a member of their gang who would help them steal, terrorize citizens, rustle cattle, and kill anybody who stood in their way. They didn't know why he helped them; but neither did they care as long as he kept doing those favors. "Keep the lasso; I already got a spare in the wagon!" _

_Poor Sampson had a hard time. While Grace was being bullied, he was struggling in the mud determined to help her out, but every step he took was almost like being stuck in quick sand. It was difficult, even for a small critter. He would just sink back deeper. But luckily he pulled free a moment after he saw Grace being lead back by the crazy old geezer. _

"_Oh no!" he cried, "I'm too late." He hung his head down in shame. Just when they were on their way to freedom, trouble blocks their path. Not only did those goons hurt his companion, but it sounded as if Lewis was somehow in cahoots with them. Could he have been an outlaw as well? _

_His head rose up with a frown. Whatever the situation, he couldn't just give up yet, what about Grace? Sure their escape attempt was a failure, but standing there feeling sorry for himself won't change a thing. Gathering up his courage he darted over to Lewis as fast as his muddy legs could carry him._

* * *

"_Alright get in there you!" Lewis demanded shoving Grace forcefully into the shack. After locking the doors behind them, Grace received a hard stinging blow across both her cheeks and a sharp kick in the stomach. She fell on the floor shrieking in pain. "Shut up you!" roared Lewis giving her another kick which caused her to grit her teeth. "Did ya honestly think I'd never catch up with ya?" He seized her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her across the ground, still lying in agony. He went to the darkest corner and released her. She tried to get up but Lewis pinned her back down with his foot. "Don't move!" Taking his foot off her, he took hold of his whip and started whipping her literally. She tried not to make a sound as the whip slashed down on her back painfully. Her eyes began to water from every stroke she received._

_It didn't take too long for Sampson to catch up with Lewis. He was stunned to hear the sound of something cracking like thunder. But Sampson squeezed halfway under the walls. When he heard the sound of the whip, he winced as he slapped both his paws on his cheeks gritting his teeth as if he too were being whipped. Uncle Joe never mentioned anything about what to do if your friend was in this kind of trouble. Who knew what might have happened if he were to interfere? After several minutes, the whipping stopped and Sampson opened his eyes to see what else was happening._

"_I warned ya once and I warned ya twice," whispered Lewis dangerously. "What else does it take for me to get you to obey?" Grace angrily refused to stare at him, despite hearing his comment. Lewis's face turned red with rage then strongly grabbed hold of her in a headlock forcing her head to meet his. "Now don't you be gettin' smart with me!" The poor cow was so severely weak, that she could only gaze up at him through her half opened eyes. Everything in the entire shack seemed so fuzzy at the moment. "Lucky those boys o' mine found ya; otherwise you'd be sufferin' out in the desert with them vultures pickin' at ya!" Grace felt the painful grip tighten as he continued on with his torrent of hateful words. Finally he threw her head down the ground and slammed out of the shack locking the doors. _

_Sampson bolted in after he left. To his surprise, Grace had received many whip strokes all over her back. They weren't too deep, but it was still painful to move. Now she was cowering in the corner covering her face with her hooves sobbing softly. He felt more sorrowful and regretful for her than himself. _

_Later on that night, he winded upward on her back soothing and rubbing the bruises with a cold wet washcloth. He also applied another cloth to her bleeding nose she received from the bandits earlier. "Humph, that big ugly brute; I'm gonna make sure he pays for what he did. One way or another," He snorted angrily. But then his anger changed back to regret when he realized he was going a little rough with the rubbing. "If only there was somethin' I could have done to help you out in the desert." _

_Right now Grace had been thinking more about those five men. What were they really and why did they want to hurt her?_

"_Sampson, what were those men?" she choked at last._

"_Those men are what townsfolk refer to as outlaws," Sampson replied still rubbing. _

"_Outlaws are bad men. They lie, cheat, steal, kill, even attempt to hurt folks who are unable to defend themselves. What they did to you out there was exactly another one o' their acts of violence. Worst of all, Lewis could somehow be connected to them."_

"_Connected?" Grace looked up at him thoughtfully through her teary eyes. "What do you mean?"_

"_I mean that he might be involved with their criminal acts from past experiences as well."_

_All Grace could do was stare at the walls confusingly as if she had never heard of an outlaw before. But whatever it is, it didn't sound all too good. Sampson sighed; it had not been easy for him to explain this to anyone especially as young as him. It was difficult to remember every advice his uncle gave him, let alone help someone in need. If Lewis is indeed somehow in cahoots with the bad men, he knew exactly what had to be done._

"_Maybe I could go to town and have a talk with the sheriff's huntin' dogs." Then he joked, "If they don't try to eat me first o course." Grace giggled a little at his comment. The least he could do was stand up to a bunch of fearsome canines or alley cats without a single scratch. He could outrun or outsmart them anytime. "Let's call it a night, it's late already." _

_He decided to stay and sleep next to Grace to ease her pain and loneliness in the darkness which engulfed the shack. Grace could hear the buzzards calling miles away in the distant canyons. One thing they had which she longed wished for was freedom. She often wished she had more friends. Sampson was still her friend but she also desired another cow for a friend who was just as sweet and kindhearted. Never in her earlier life had she a chance to make friends with any other calf before she was purchased three days after her birth. Lewis Wesley had only thought of cattle as stupid mindless delinquents. He believed they had no purpose for living except for valuable possessions such as milk, leather, beef and other products. He also believed they were not meant to feel any kindness or love. Discouraged and still upset by Lewis's abuse, her eyes welled up with warm tears. She couldn't even remember her birth mother or why Lewis would bother purchasing if all he does is hurt her for no reason. The more Grace thought of this, the faster the tears rolled down from her eyes and dropped on the ground. She closed her eyes tighter as if to stop the tears from falling. _

_The sound of the sniffling woke Sampson as he opened one eye to see Grace had a look of sorrow and her face tearstained. "Grace…" he began, pushing himself up and standing beside her head. "You alright?"_

"_I'm fine; just tired that's all." But Sampson saw right through her with those teary eyes and soft sniffling. _

"_Now don't tell me nothin' is wrong when I know it's somethin'. Just ask me anything and I'll answer for you."_

"_What's it like to be lonesome; to…to not be wanted?" Grace asked, gazing at the wall on her left._

"_Is that what you're feelin' at this moment?" He asked with a look of concern._

"_What if nobody really wants me around, and what if no one will ever want to…?." Grace stopped as Sampson placed his paws on her face._

"_Grace, you should never under any circumstances ever think things like that. I know you're going through a troublesome time right now, but you mustn't give up hope yet." Sampson said, wiping a tear away from her cheek. "I mean just because the bad men stood in the way of our escape plan along with that old goon followin' us don't mean we should stop tryin'; it just means we need a more clever idea on how to get outta this here mess." He added, making Grace smile weakly. "That's what you do, give me a smile." Sampson said, placing his arms halfway across her face drying a few last tears from her cheeks._

"_Thank you for being here for me," Grace said letting out one last sniffle before lying back down to sleep._

"_No problem." Sampson curled himself up into a tiny fur ball. "No problem at all._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Ollie was bawling softly while still listening to the last comment from the other side of the den. "Why that's the saddest thing I ever heard of." He said between sniffles.

"Oh now calm down dearie," Audrey tried to hush him; but she too was on the verge of crying as well. "There ain't nothing to…..oh who am I kiddin'." She and Ollie hugged and whimpered softly under each other's arms. After several minutes, Audrey finally whispered. "Now, now let's not overreact here, we are a family after all and nothing is ever going to take that away from us."

* * *

_The next day, Sampson traveled to town hoping to have a word with the sheriff's hunting dog. Unfortunately, it was not going well. Either the dog didn't believe him or he just didn't want to._

"_So let me get this here straight," cocked the Sheriff's bloodhound named Dan with his eyes rolling. "You expect me to believe that the owner of that calf is involved with keeping these crooks runnin and rampin'? And doing their work in secret?" _

"_That's right," replied Sampson, "Last night I overheard him mention somethin' about a long-term agreement made not too long ago as soon as I saw him hand those crooks some money."_

"_A long term-agreement," said Dan with suspicious thoughts, but soon his look of suspicion turned into a frown. "But then again, you must have only been listenin' to too many rumors and gossip goin' on around here; plus there ain't any law against keepin' a cow locked up in a shack. Hundreds of cattle are stolen every year and disciplined for misbehavior reactions. It's all part of tamin'." Then he turned to go back into the sheriff's office._

"_But it isn't gossip I'm tellin'!" cried Sampson darting after him. "There must be some way I can do to prove it to ya."_

_The bloodhound paused then sighed, "Look mouse, everyone's been huntin' these crooks down for a long time and not even the greatest bounty hunter could catch up with them. They gave up weeks ago recently." Then he looked at Sampson who seemed to have his head hung down in defeat. _

"_But….," he began giving the mouse a glimpse of hope. "….. If what you are sayin' is true, then bring me back a piece of any more of those stolen goods if he has any; so that I may sniff out the scent of those crooks."_

"_But they're hideout is only fifteen square blocks away from Lewis's home; couldn't you at least….."_

"_I can't just leave here and go off on my own. I need to be by my master's side whenever we're huntin' or trackin' down criminals. If he found me missin' from the porch, he might think I ran away."_

_Sampson saw his point quite clear. It would take an entire squad to go after a gang of outlaws. He scratched his chin thoughtfully._

"_Alright I'll see if he still has anything of stolen value. But after that, you must help my friend seek out a new home. That old varmint is full of rabies." And he raised his furry hands up above his head curling his little fingers._

_Dan who was confident in his duty as a hunting dog, agreed. That did nothing to diminish the pride he had for his masters orders. "Well I know of a train that heads south of here."_

_Sampson waved goodbye and scampered back to the shack as fast as his hind legs could carry him._

* * *

_On the way back, Sampson thought he heard the sound of hammering behind the shack. What could that old goat be up to now? He thought as he trotted over to find out. It turned out to be Lewis hammering the secret door with long wooden boards._

"_Well there goes our secret hideaway," Sampson slapped his hand to his forehead in shame. "Shucks,I forgot to close it when we were on our way; but I guess he would'vestill followed and found her eventually." He sighed as he snuck into Lewis's cabin by sliding under the door. "Hmmm, I wonder where he keeps the keys." He whispered scratching his whiskered face. He searched around for everything in every room in the cabin for a piece of evidence, but without success. He placed his right paw on the wooden wall exhaustedly. "Heh, what do you know, nothin'…whoa!" It felt as if the wall had moved. Sampson looked upward to what appeared to be a door. He poked his head in and discovered yet another room with a small desk, unlit lantern, a broom, and a few photos of the Yeller Gang altogether on WANTED posters. They appeared to be about a few months old all covered in dust. _

"_So this is where he keeps his little secrets?" said Sampson hesitantly. "Now if only I could get up on that table." Then he looked at the broom. After climbing, he jumped onto the desk and looked for what else might be of interest. Let's see...there were two more WANTED posters, a key to the shack (thank goodness), a pistol, a knife, the whip Lewis used to strike Grace with (he'll pay for that), and a diamond covered bracelet. Sampson brightened up at the sight of the sparks that glittered. "There's a piece of evidence I could use."_

_Sampson snapped to attention when he heard the sound of the front door opening then closing with a slam. Thinking fast, he picked up the bracelet, and poster, jumped back onto the broom and hid inside the stiff fibers just in time. _

"_That cow is goin' to make one good heck of a meal for me," he muttered after sipping a jug of red wine. "Such a shame that I had to teach her an important lesson on the meanin' of obedience." Sampson's blood ran cold as he heard Lewis say that. He must have mentioned the beating. "Then again, tryin' to feed her that stuff I give her everyday doesn't seem to be helpin'; cattle are tastier when they're all fattened up." He swallowed one last gulp down his throat and placed it back down on the table. Quickly while Lewis still had his back turned to the table, Sampson anxiously popped out of the broom, ran at full speed to the front door and crept back under with the two items in hand. He did not like the sound of what Lewis was rambling on about in there. Something inside told him his friend would be in further jeopardy if he didn't get her out of this place fast._

"_Well, I got what the dog asked for, so all I have to do is bring it to him." He said proudly as he attempted to run back into town. But then he felt something big and strong press down on his tail causing him to trip on his feet and let go of the two items._

"_Ooof...what in heck is...?" before he could finish his little outburst, he suddenly felt something breathing viciously behind his ear in a hot stinking foul atmosphere. Sampson turned his head and was met face to face with the large brute Doberman pinscher he remembered seeing back at the outlaw's campfire." ..going...gulp...on?"His voice was now shaking with fright. _

"_Goin' somewhere rat?" he growled softly with Sampson quivering like a leaf in the wind. _

"_What are you doin' here?" asked the field mouse with his voice still shaking. The dog glanced suspiciously at the bracelet for a mere second then turned his attention back to Sampson._

"_What am I doin' here? The question here is what are you doin' here with the masters items?" He reached for the bracelet with his left paw and held it in front of his face. "A little early for house robberies don't ya think? By the way, my masters call me Tuck."_

"_Alright enough of this!" yelled Sampson turning over and placing his paws on his hips. "Who do ya think ya are marchin' your way onto other folk's territory? Maybe it is you who should march on out of here soon, or else the animal that lives here might shoot you right between the eyes." He warned the dog, pointing his finger at him._

"_Now why would the master shoot his own guard dog?"_

"_Guard dog?"_

"_That ain't your concern, but I was told that the old man was havin' quite a bit o' trouble with a disobedient calf and needed someone fierce and loyal to watch over her; so he decided to pay a little visit to my previous owners and requested that he take me along."_

"_The Yeller Gang?"_

"_What, you were there too? Well anyway, I was already growing bored of bein' the lookout every night for bounty hunters on our trail and needed to do somethin' more pleasant. Such as teachin' a cow to stay in line. "_

"_There ain't nothin' loyal about pickin' on a poor frightened calf." Sampson was now becoming slightly annoyed with this Doberman's attitude who was now speaking in an ill-mannered tone. "And that bracelet you hold in your paw is a stolen one."_

"_From you sincerely," Tuck mocked with a smirk; though he still kept his eyes on the bracelet. "I don't usually feed on rodents, but for thieves like you, I'm willin' to make an exception, especially for your cow friend."_

"_Oh yeah, we'll just see about that!" Sampson freed his tail from the dog's grip then climbed rapidly up to where he held the bracelet; and bit as hard as he could into his paw._

"_YEOW!" screamed Tuck with his eyes widening from the pain. It caused him to let go of the bracelet with Sampson sprinting back down to scoop it up along with the WANTED poster._

"_Come back here you little runt?" he growled chasing after the mouse who held on strongly to the two evidence pieces. They ran around knocking down barrels and water pails, needless to say Sampson outran him quite easily only after Tuck took hold of half the poster in his mouth and tore a big piece off while attempting to catch up to him. Still holding the torn piece he stared gleefully at Sampson who was not only fleeing for his life but running straight back into town._

"_Humph," he snorted through gritted teeth, "What makes him think the sheriff will listen to a pathetic weak mouse like him?" He spit out the paper which rolled away with the gusty wind. _

"_Tuck, get on over here!" called Lewis who had finished with nailing the secret door. He heard all the commotion of barking and chasing and became curious as to why he was acting strange._

_Tuck turned his attention away from the fleeing mouse behind the fence confident that nobody would ever listen to a pesky animal; and sprinted over to Lewis who still had a hammer in hand. Lewis looked at the barrels knocked down and gave Tuck a somewhat "You are a strange animal" kind of look._

"_What in carnation were you up to, chasin' after gophers like you always do?" He wasn't upset by the wreck he made knowing it would be cleaned up eventually. Right now his mind was on a good tasty meal. _

"_You shouldn't be wastin' your energy goin' after a bunch of worthless critters."_

_Grace, who had also heard the commotion, stepped halfway out of the shack to view what was going on. Lewis had left the shack open shortly an hour after he force fed her more of that awful filth; but not before he thwacked her across the face after refusing to taste it. She could also still feel the pain around her neck from when Lewis restrained her with his right muscular arm as she struggled in his grasp, while giving her spoonfuls. Even her stomach was a little unbalanced. So far all she could see were over turned barrels, knocked down pails, and a few footprints made from the dog scrambled all over the dirt field. _

"_What happened here; did a tornado stroll by?" she muttered foolishly to herself before letting out a small groan. But all that frustration and exhaustion had made her too tired to think straight at the moment. The pain she felt in her stomach was almost similar to swallowing a poisonous insect. "Oh dear, I don't feel so good." The next thing she was aware of was that she fell on the floor groaning and the world was spinning. She thought she heard a torrent of taunting verbs from a flock of black birds flying that encircled above her, but was still confused as to what they were laughing about. Then she began to feel something sharp poking at her forehead. _

"_What's the matter little cow?" A black feathered figure peered straight into her eyes. _

"_Maggots got your tongue?" At that point the world stopped spinning and Grace had finally been able to get a good glimpse of the black crow. From what she could remember were voices cackling._

"_What are maggots?" she asked in a curious tone._

"_Oh just a bunch of little parasites that feed endlessly on dyin' cattle such as yourself." the crow pecked his sharp beak into the calf's foreleg._

"_Ouch stop that!" She kicked a few bits of dirt into the crow's face._

_The crow stepped a few feet back, ignoring the dust cloud he stepped forward. "Once you're dead, those maggots will come risin' from the ground and devour you entirely till you're nothin' but old bones. But since you're far from dead, it's only a matter of time before they smell you within miles away. Enjoy your last days while you're at it; I'll be waitin'." He flew off the ground at a rapid speed laughing maniacally in the cloudy desert horizon joining his other feathered companions._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Grace could no longer continue with her story since it was close to the crack of dawn. Maggie and Mrs. Calloway rightfully thought it would be bitterly pointless to try and force the rest of the story out of her (worried that she would only break down into more hysterical crying). Obviously they didn't know what else to think of. While they slept, Maggie remembered the first time she met Grace, Mrs. Calloway, and the rest of the farm animals after losing her old home to Alameda Slim. The sound of that name still made her boil sometimes as it did now, but not too much knowing he and his goons were serving their time behind bars. Grace was all sweet, peace-loving and especially tone-deaf, but didn't want to tell her she sounded similar to a dying cow (afraid of hurting her feelings). In fact she sometimes wondered how or why she was off tune. Though she was naïve and unaware of certain events, she didn't seem like the kind of bovine to arrive from the wrong side of town.

Mrs. Calloway had never known of where Grace came from since they had only been younglings when they first met. But she did remember her being a little shy around the other farm animals as if she had never seen a goat, chicken, or pig before. It didn't take her too long to become used to them though. Well I sure wouldn't want to spend a lifetime in solitary confinement! She thought as she slept for the rest of the night. Surely by morning, maybe she'll forget all that has happened.

But on that one morning, Grace buried half her body beneath the hay. Her mind was still filled with sorrowful and fearful thoughts. Thoughts of that brutal being discovering her hiding out in a sanctuary, then being dragged further away to be given the most painful beating of her entire life. What if he was already outside at this moment waiting for her to step out of the barn?

"Alright girls, rise n' shine!" Pearl Gesner with her usual morning greeting flew the doors wide open. Maggie and Mrs. Calloway were up sniffing the sweet aroma of bluebonnets on the field, but Grace who was a bit startled by the sound of opening doors hid her entire body even deeper with the exception of her tail hanging out. Pearl noticed something a bit peculiar when she only saw two of the cows step on out. That's strange, could Grace still be asleep? She's always up at this time of the day. She treads softly inside to have a look for herself. Apparently she did find a gold tail sticking out of the hay which shook like the sound of a rattler.

"Grace, are you still under there?" The elderly farm lady slowly picked up part of the hay with her gloved fingertips cautious not to spook her. "Now c'mon darlin', there's no need to be hidin' from me. It's time to…….WWHHOOA!"

Without warning, Grace had exploded out of her hiding place releasing a startled cry of fear.

"Whoa settle now, settle!" Pearl held out both her hands in midair attempting to calm the frightened bovine that was now kicking against the wall screaming. The commotion attracted the attention of the farm animals that were now standing outside to see what was happening. They were taken aback by the sight of Pearl struggling with an uncontrollable Grace.

One of the three piggies wanted to go in and help, but was dragged away by the tail. He looked up to see that it was Mrs. Calloway. She warned him not to make matters worse. She was worried the lad might have suffered critical injuries. What concerned her more was the fact that Grace gave Pearl a hard time by not settling down when being told to do so. She couldn't blame her for being terrified of a nightmare, but having a terrible attitude toward Pearl, she knew was simply unacceptable. Nobody but Maggie, Mrs. Calloway, Ollie, and Audrey knew what might have caused her to behave so out of control.

"Steady there now girl, its all right," said Pearl softly as Grace finally calmed down. Gently soothing the heifer's neck she asked, "What might the problem be?" She for the most part had her way of dealing with frightened animals, but did not understand about her condition. She did however notice that her eyes were a bit red and watery.

"Oh dear me," she muttered worriedly with her right hand over her mouth. "Let me rush back inside and see if I can find somethin' for those eyes." She rose up and turned her direction to the two cows that were still standing still at the doorway. "Think you girls could keep an eye on her for a while?" She asked as she marched past them and into the house.

After going inside, the animals turned their attention back to Grace. Her whole body laid flat on the floor giving them an embarrassing grin.

"Well I daresay never have I witnessed such behavior like that from anyone, especially from you," Mrs. Calloway said in a scolding tone strolling to her.

"Kicking, screaming, why I never….don't you realize you could have hurt someone that way!"

"Alright folks nothing to see here," Maggie, not wanting the other animal to see what was happening shooed them faraway from the den then closed the doors.

The farm animals still stood on the spot dazed and confused with only one thought in mind: What was that all about?

"Maybe she woke up on the wrong side of the hay," said Jeb jokingly. The animals gave him a look of annoyance. Jeb was still a little cranky from being awoken by the loud thump from last night. But of course, that's how he is most of the time.

"Listen dear, I'm only telling you this because I care about you. But from now on there shall be no vulgarity as long as you live on this farm." Mrs. Calloway had just finished as Grace hung her head down in shame. She was right after all. If Pearl or any of the animals were hurt severely, Grace might have not forgiven herself let alone wake up screaming.

"YO, hate to interrupt the conversation but….," Maggie butted in. "…soon everyone outside is gonna wanna know all about this."

If she were capable of doing so, Mrs. Calloway would have had her hooves on her hips like an ordinary woman in a foul mood. She let out a sigh. She didn't like to be harsh but knew discipline was an important part of keeping things under control. She also didn't want the other animals to worry to death if they found out what was happening. Perhaps the best thing would be to stay with the sad heifer at least for today.

"Well while Pearl is fixing up an antidote, perhaps Grace would like to continue on with her story." They both sat on the ground as if they were ready to take a nap.

"I can't remember where I was," Grace lied.

"Now, now Grace," said Mrs. Calloway. "You'll never get better if you don't tell us what else is bothering you." She still was concerned.

"Well, um….," Grace began not knowing how to explain. "It's just that….well what if he's out there waiting to take me away from here? I may never…never see my friends again and be alone once more." Her face looked as if she would break into more sobs.

"Grace there ain't nothin' out there but cornfields, flowers, and the family," promised Maggie, "Besides do you know what I do; I'd give him a little of this and that." She shook her right hoof as if she were ready to punch someone. She thought a little sarcasm would enlighten her downed spirits. Grace managed to smile a bit but Mrs. Calloway rolled her eyes in irritation. How can anyone think of humor at a time like this? She on the other hand was in no mood for it and would prefer to handle situations the more serious way.

"Why don't you go on with your story," She informed Grace.

* * *

_Still lying on the ground in pain, the words of the crow started to frighten Grace with horrible scary images. What if he said was true? She thought nervously. What if I am on the verge of wasting away already? Her head turned to the direction of the sound where Lewis still nailed the last few hammers._

"_I have to get out of here," she mumbled jumping up and turned to the front gate to try to run away._

"_Tuck sick her!" The call of Lewis's angry tone panicked her. He must have seen what she was doing. She attempted to climb over halfway but was pulled back forcefully by the tail. Gritting her teeth in pain, Tuck caught her with his sharp teeth which sank in a bit. _

"_Ouch let me go!" Grace wailed still struggling to get away. She did however manage to kick him in the jaw with her left foot leaving the dog to yelp in pain as she climbed over to run into town. Now she had absolutely no idea where she was goin' but she didn't want to bother to find out what would be in store for her. That's what any living being would do if they were scared to death. Lewis had his arms folded across his chest as he witnessed what Tuck failed to accomplish. _

"_Well don't just sit there, go after her!" Lewis demanded. The Doberman quickly recovered from the pain in his jaw and sprinted over the fence to follow the calf. He'd definitely make sure she'd be sorry for what she did. By the time when Lewis picked her up from last night, he had been met with disappointment when he thought he'd never get a chance to have the taste of roast beef. But Lewis had promised him all the meat he could possibly eat if he could stay as his guard dog until the calf had been fattened up enough. Then he'd go back to his old masters._

_Sampson had been huffing and puffing with exhaustion from attempting to outrun that vicious Doberman guard dog. Now that he's here, he had to figure out how he was ever going to get back to his friend without Tuck catching him. There had to be a way somehow._

"_Well did you find any?" asked a voice from above a porch. It was Dan who had seen the mouse walking slowly breathing heavily._

"_Here it is; wasn't easy though. I had to outrun an angry guard dog tryin' to get back here!" After climbing the steps, Sampson held the items up to him. Before Dan even had a chance to sniff out the scent, a woman's scream brought up both their attention. _

"_Get out; get outta my hat shop you no good street varmint!" A woman with short blond curly hair, wearing a blue cotton dress with and a white apron over her waist held in her right palm a sweeping broom. She was using it to get rid of what seemed to be a calf with a blond hide. It was Grace! "Out I say; get out and don't come back!" She shouted as she used one last swipe to hit her in the backside violently._

"_Grace?" Samson looked over to where she was in astonishment. "How'd she get down here?"_

"_Is that your friend wearin' a woman's hat?" Dan asked with a giggle. Grace had actually been trying to find a place to hide while still being chased by Tuck and ended up in the hat shop. She threw the hat down on the dusty dirt ground and stuck her tongue out at the shop owner after she had her back turned. Are folks always so grouchy all the time? She thought. Well in this part of the state, it was a dog eat dog world where there were hardly any laws or rules to keep everything steady. She had nearly forgotten about Tuck before hearing a ferocious bark in the distance. _

"_BARK, BARK, BARK!" The barks were drawing near and Grace started once again running off in fright. What she didn't notice was that she had been heading straight into a few barrels of pickles and bell peppers which she met with a crash. _

"_Hey, those were my best peppers varmint!" The calf had been half-buried in the bell peppers and pickles mixed together. Even now, the scent began to cause an irritation in her eyes causing them to water a bit. Though that wasn't enough to stop her from running blindly, this time she didn't notice a couple of horses galloping her way in the dust road._

"_Grace no, turn back, turn back this way!" Sampson tried to warn her, but the galloping was so thunderous, she couldn't hear him. All he could do was watch helplessly as Grace trotted over to her doom unaware. He covered his eyes._

"_What is that?" Grace skidded to a halt a second later after she regained her vision from the blurriness. Her mouth dropped open in astonishment as she witnessed what was about to happen. The ground shook from the galloping of the horses. She stood frozen in her spot in the middle of the road, too scared to move. This was it!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Time for your medicine girl!" Pearl had equally interrupted the story by opening the doors, holding in her right palm what seemed to be a small embrown cemented vial (think of those bottle liquids people put into their irritated eyes).

Grace felt a little frightened and moved back slowly against the wall. Normally she didn't feel too comfortable with any substance (not even water) seeping in her eyes. Sometimes the feeling was like having water preparing to swell in every part of your body causing you to swell till your eyes burst.

"I'm sorry girl, but you must take this or else your eyes won't be gettin' any better,"

Pearl moved closer to where the girls were sitting. It was surprising for her to see that they stayed close to her this whole time. That's what family was all about; staying close together at all costs. She smiled at them as they still stood next to the poor heifer that was now shaking nervously. However, she didn't like the idea of forcing one of her animals to stand perfectly still in a strict order. But at this rate, she knew what had to be done.

"I know, I know girl….just hold still," She replied sternly as she held back one of her eyelids to allow the vial to drop. Maggie had both her hooves on the heifer's back in order to prevent her from moving. Even she was smart enough to know this was for her own good.

"Phew, see now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Pearl wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"You sure you don't wanna come out and enjoy the sunshine?"

The yellow heifer shook her head anxiously as if she were trying to tell her "no" then buried her entire head in the hay pile. Pearl watched in confusion. She had never seen the sweet gal act like this before. Usually she would walk out every single day helping her out by the apple trees happily, without a care or concern for the outside world. There had been something going on in her mind definitely, because it was not her usual behavior. Maybe a doctor/medical person could describe what might be wrong. Could be that it was the only smart option to do.

"Alright then, whenever you're ready, come on out and I'll be there."

* * *

_The frightened calf stood frozen in the middle of the town road waiting for the stampede of horses to run her down. Several minutes later, the rummaging grew softer and in dead silence. Opening one eye slowly, it appeared that she could see the buildings again despite the sting in her eyes from the peppers. She luckily wasn't run down after all; must be that the horses had gone around her frozen position. But the next thing that spooked her came the vibration of what seemed like thunder. She turned behind to witness five armed men with their faces half-covered jotting into a local bank. For now, all thought of the vicious guard dog had left her as she carefully snuck on the opposite side of the bank and peeked in through the dirty old window to view what was happening._

"_Stick'em up, this is a holdup!" The leader demanded in high tone with his gun pointed at the cowering citizens shaking on the floor in fear. "Move from your spots and you'll be blown to bits! Now hand over everything you got in your pocket!" Nobody even dared to act brave for they were completely without weapons and any other form of defense. Their only option was to just do as they were told until the bandits would be gone and out of sight. _

"_Hey, you there!" the other bandits stopped what they were doing and turned their direction to their leader's loud thunderous voice. He had been shouting at a woman trying to hide something in the palm of her hands, away from the eyes of the greedy outlaws. _

"_Show me what you got!" seizing her left wrist roughly, it turned out to be a shining diamond ring placed on her middle finger._

"_I thought so, hand it over!" He tried to remove it, but the woman resisted in his tight grip._

"_No, not my wedding ring!" She cried in protest, still in her attempt to break free._

"_Give it here!" The bandit leader demanded. "Well what a shame; if it's that important to you, then I guess we'll be takin' it with us." Unexpectedly, he snatched it off her finger, and then pushed her onto the floor. The woman's eyes filled with tears from the loss of her precious ring._

"_Come on boys, time to blow this joint!" His henchmen followed, mounting their horses and then trotting off into the dusty highway._

_Grace wondered in curiosity. Something seemed awfully familiar about those men. Just like the ones she and Sampson first encountered out in the dry lands. No, they couldn't possibly; or could they?_

_Turning away from the windowsill, she decided to go tell Sampson. That is, until a large muzzle pressed against her tiny pink snout. Her fear returned as she gazed up at the menacing eyes of Tuck. He bent down closer to meet her face._

"_Didn't anyone ever tell you that lookin' through a window is a bad manner?" He growled._

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Not as sorry as you will be!" He was prepared to smack her with his right paw, before another voice boomed in._

"_Tuck, halt!" Tuck did as he was told and stepped aside. It was Lewis, and this time he was as furious as ever. With his hands on his bulgy hips, he smiled at Tuck and gave him a firm pat on the head, then whispered, "You wouldn't want to spoil a good meal, wouldn't you? It might taste raw." The Doberman stuck his tongue out in disgust at that last word. Then he turned to Grace with a cold sneer._

"_Speakin' of which," Lewis sneered as he knotted his thick fingers in her blond hair and jerked her head up. "I know a certain unruly bovine about to be given the punishment of her life when she gets home!"_

_He didn't need a rope to drag her since Tuck kept his eyes on her securely. None of the townspeople paid any attention to them as they marched through the dusty street. They were too busy wondering if those bad men would return to their town at anytime to wreak more havoc._

"_Now do you believe me?" Sampson said to Dan sternly, as they both crawled out of the porch from where they were hiding. _

"_What I saw were five masked men in dark clothes robbin' a bank, and then takin' off. But I don't believe it was the Yeller Gang." Dan shook the dirt off his ears with his left leg. "However, I did see how your friend's owner just acted as if nothin' happened. He should have been as scared as the other folks." He finished as he jumped back onto the porch._

"_I'm tellin' you, it is them and Lewis has the word guilty written all over him!"_

"_Now, now, there is no need to get tense n' all. Do you still have those two items with you?"_

"_Sure do," Sampson went back under the porch to fetch the bracelet and poster. They were still in good condition. Once more, he handed them over to Dan so that he could examine them. He raised his head up in bewilderment._

"_It can't be!"_

* * *

_Grace had not been thrilled with being dragged back to the old ranch. But this time, instead of taking her to that awful shack, she was lead into the house._

"_I've had it up to here with you runnin' off on me, cow!" Lewis roared slamming the door tightly shut. In a fury, he dug his fingers into her blond hair and pulled her into the living room. Grace cringed painfully from his tight grip. She wondered what kind of punishment he would be giving her this time. There he released her, and went into the secret hiding room to fetch that whip. _

_Oh no, not again! Grace thought with her eyes widening in horror. As he was nosing through the room, Grace had been secretly wishing she were back in the shack with Sampson at her side. She didn't know why, but she would rather not put up with Lewis's stupid lectures and pointless punishments. They certainly weren't getting her anywhere. She made a face at Lewis with his back still turned. Tuck grabbed hold of her chin from underneath and pulled her close to his face after he witnessed what she did._

"_Do you think that's funny?" He snarled viciously. "Don't forget, he's your master and I'm his guard dog; which means I got my eyes on you. So unless you don't want to become ground up meat, you'll follow orders," baring his claws in front of her face, Grace somehow managed to release herself from his grip and tried to back up against the wall. _

_Unfortunately, she bumped into Lewis. There he stood with his muscular arms crossed and the whip in hand. His angry eyes were on her as well. _

"_I thought I told you to stay in your spot!" he roared, kicking her in the stomach. She bellowed in pain. His lips curled and his eyes glinted. Ignoring her cry, he lifted her by the scruff of her neck and was thrown back where she last stood. She froze completely still, without moving an inch or two. _

"_Let me make it clear one more time!" Tuck stepped a few feet back to avoid getting hit by mistake. Grace didn't want to see what he was doing and covered her eyes. But before she could feel a sting, a loud bang at the door interrupted the situation._

"_What meddlin' idiot dares to step on my property?" Lewis moaned as he walked to the window to check. His expression turned from anger to shock. _

"_Tuck!" he cried, "Move that bovine into the closet, now!" The Doberman didn't know what hit him, but did as he was ordered without protesting. Once he and Grace were out of his sight, he opened the door._

_Out on the front step was the sheriff!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_The sheriff had a wide face with a short stubby nose, thick dark-grey bushy eyebrows, and a thick bushy mustache with a grey beard about two inches. He was an inch shorter than Lewis, had a sturdy wide chest, and sturdy legs. On his body he wore a tanned blue denim bib-style shirt, a grey hat with a rawhide braiding, copper-colored shotgun chaps, and red-brown boots with under slung heels. On the left side of his shirt, he wore a badge of pure silver titled "sheriff." He stood in front of Lewis with his arms crossed over his chest and a look of seriousness on his face. What could he possibly want that was so important?_

"_Well howdy Sheriff Ned Jones," Lewis tried to act and sound friendly to hide suspicion. But the sheriff didn't seem to be buying his act. Standing next to him was Dan with Sampson sitting on top of his head. But Lewis was too drunk to even notice them. "What can I do you for?"_

"_Well nothin' in particular…except," Sheriff Jones paused for a second as he held up the same diamond bracelet and torn poster that Sampson gave to Dan. "…know anything about this?"_

_Lewis stared on in bewilderment. How did those get out? I'll bet it was that bovine nosin' around in my closet again. I'll deal with her later! Much later! Right now he had to think of some excuse quickly._

"_Sorry sheriff, don't know nothin' about them two items you hold…," then his tone turned from low to high. "… So why don't you just scurry on off my property?" He attempted to close the door on the sheriff's face, but Jones held it back with his right hand forcefully._

"_Not so fast partner, we've still got a whole lot to talk about. Where were you at the time when five men just robbed the town bank?"_

_Perfect, now this guy was becoming more suspicious. Come on, think, think, think! "I was nailin' up a door on my barn house when my cow got loose; so I had to run over to town and retrieve her. Why are you askin' me all this?"_

"_I'd like to come in if I may," Jones requested. Lewis stepped out of his way to let him in. Ned Jones was a little shocked to find five liquor bottles on top of the table in the kitchen area. Two were only half empty while the other three lay flat with a few droplets. He stuck out his tongue in disgust. There ought to be law in this town about the effects of alcoholism. Usually when someone in town became drunk, they would start to cause all sorts of problems to everyone. The entire house around him seemed normal and unsuspecting until Dan started scratching hesitantly on the walls. _

"_What is it Dan?"_

_He turned to where his canine companion was scratching and walked over to investigate. Before his hand could reach the doorknob, out popped Grace tired and huffing heavily after every breath._

"_Huh, how did you get in there?" _

_Grace, still frightened from Lewis's threat, backed a few feet away from Ned when she saw him. Because of all that has happened she was becoming more afraid of strangers. Who was he anyway? Could he be another one of her owner's henchmen like the Yeller Gang? She couldn't help but shiver with fright then scamper under the table where the liquor bottles sat. The last thing she needed was more human contact. _

_Whenever he tried to get close, she would just back away as if he was ready to do something even worse. _

_Ned couldn't help but take pity on the poor thing. He knew his job was to try and protect the town and its citizens, despite the dangerous consequences. So why not protect the young critters on the farm. Seeing the fear in the calf's eyes, he suspected that Lewis had done something to make her afraid of all humans. _

_Dan however strutted over to her and whispered in a soft tone, "So you're the one bein' cooped up inside. Don't you worry young one, we're here to get you outta this here place. Your little friend told me all that has happened"_

_Grace didn't know what he was talking about. He didn't seem to want to hurt her at all. Sampson jumped off Dan's head to explain to her how he managed to discuss their encounter out in the desert but had to rush back for evidence. His contact with Tuck gave Grace more chills when he mentioned how the dog tried to stop him from reaching town. _

"_That man is the sheriff; he ain't here to harm you, he's here to help. Now please come on out, if you don't, then you'll be stuck here for the remainder o' your life…" Grace stared down at her little companion and listened to more about what he had to say. "…and if you're stuck here...you'll never experience the true meanin' o' freedom or happiness. Just a lonely calf who still wishes… she had a family." Now Sampson's eyes turned to sadness when he mentioned the sound of that last word. He missed his own family already. But now was not the time for that when his friend's life was at stake._

_Upon seeing the sorrowful expression on his face, Grace still didn't fully trust the sheriff, but she did come out from under the table to have another look at him. He lowered down in an awkward position then held out his left hand for her to examine. She slowly walked up to him to have an even closer eye to eye with him. Her face was only a few inches away from his. She was a little startled when she felt his left hand on her back, but he rubbed against it smoothly instead of violently as Lewis would always do. _

"_A calf like you should be on an average farm, not here; this place is not for you."_

_He was not mean, arrogant, brutal, or any of the other negative comments that describe Lewis. But Grace began to lose part of her balance as each of her legs began to shake frantically and unsteadily. Ned knew exactly what was wrong. He would take this calf to his house and give her a bottle of milk to replenish her health. _

_Before he could lift her in his arms, he thought he heard the sound of a click from behind him. It was Lewis with a gun in hand. This sheriff was beginning to get too nosy coming in here and the drunken low-life wanted nothing more than to fire at anyone who dared to invade his privacy and to interfere with punishing that disobedient calf._

"_You know what sheriff," he replied wickedly, "you're gettin' mighty too nosy round here. Now hand over that calf or you'll be tastin' bullets through your tongue."_

_But Ned placed Grace behind him and stood up straight. He really must've been harming this calf severely and cruelly recently. Well he wasn't about to give her up that easily. _

"_Alright partner, you want the calf, come and get her," he dared Lewis, taking his pistol up in hand. But before Lewis could pull the trigger, something hard and wooden whacked him on the side of the head. Lying down on the floor unconscious, it was one of the sheriff's deputies. He wore a copper shirt with popper buttons, modern leather cuffs, and chaps similar to Ned's. _

"_Just thought you could use a little backup," he replied with a grin._

"_How did you get in?" asked Ned._

"_The ol'fool left his back door open. I've seen a lot of crazy drunk low lives before, but this one is definitely outta control."_

"_I could've handled him on my own," Ned muttered as he put his pistol back in his belt. "Just make sure you get the other deputies to take care of him, he won't be leavin' till we get to the bottom o' this."**

* * *

**_

_A few moments later, the sheriff's deputies successfully put Lewis behind bars while he was still knocked out. No charges of any illegal activity with the Yeller Gang could yet be filed against him without full clear evidence, but only for drunkenness and pulling a weapon on a lawman. Despite there being no laws against animal cruelty, he wanted to get Grace out of where no baby animal should ever be._

"_Sheriff Jones," one of the deputies barged in through the wooded doors to report something. "While we were searchin' the whole household, we discovered a whole pile o' these and these."_

_He slammed a pile of newspapers and WANTED posters on the desk. The newspapers had articles in them about the Yeller Gang committing more crimes in towns. They looked to be at least a couple of months old. _

"_Why do you think he would be keepin' these in a place out of sight?" _

"_Because he don't want anyone knowin' that he is involved with their little schemes," Ned replied sarcastically slamming his fist on his desk. The deputy jumped back at his reaction. Looking at the frozen Lewis in the cell, Ned decided it would be pointless at this time to get more information out of him._

"_Until he wakes up, the Yeller Gang will be as good as ours." Rising from his chair, he left the office for home. _

"_Come on Dan, you too calf," the animals had been sitting outside for a short period of time while Ned had been trying to get a clue out of some of the items that were taken from Lewis's house. They may have had Lewis for now, but the Yeller Gang was still out somewhere wreaking more havoc. _

"_Catchin' crooks is even harder than I thought it would be," he sighed. _

_Dan looked up at the frustrated expression on his master's face wishing there was something else he could do for him.

* * *

_

"_Don't worry young one, you'll be stayin' here for a while until I can rearrange for another farm owner to take you in," Ned replied opening the front door of his house. Inside it was clean and tidy unlike the filthy foul smelling atmosphere at Lewis's home. Not only was she in a friendly place but she also didn't have to worry tonight about any crazy old loon or vicious canine hurting her._

"_I've got somethin' for you," Ned pulled out a plastic bottle of white liquid from the cellar down below. Having never seen it before, Grace was about to move back before Ned continued. "…what's wrong? It's only a milk bottle. There's nothin' to be afraid of; just drink it and you'll grow up to be a strong bovine, maybe even a real beauty." Grace walked up and started suckling on the end of the bottle. This stuff was good, not like the other filth she was being force-fed. Ned rubbed her back smoothly to comfort her. _

_Back when he was real young, he remembered growing up on a small cattle ranch with his stepfather. But because he had taken a liking to spending more time playing with them, his stepfather, who did not approve of him neglecting his other duties, sent him away to live in an orphanage. Though life for him had a few ups and downs, in the end he managed to pull through. Now he was hoping for this young calf to grow up with love, happiness, and a peaceful life on a farm where she would always be welcomed and appreciated. She deserved much better._

"_That should be enough," he said, gently pulling the bottle away. Once out of her mouth, Grace didn't holler or throw a tantrum; instead she just gave a frown of disappointment._

"_Don't worry, there will be more for you tomorrow; but for now, it's time to go to sleep."_

_He led her to his room filled with a wide rectangular bed with a wooly sheet and a fluffy pillow in the middle. _

"_That over there is my bed; I think you'll be more comfortable there." He pointed to a velvet cotton mattress on the right side next to his bed. The calf settled on top of the soft cozy mat and rested her head against the sidelines. This was much better than the dark lonely shack. Normally the mat was really Dan's sleeping area, but he didn't mind, after all she went through, and he believed she needed it more than he did. He and Sampson would be resting on the soft rug in the living room._

_Grace fell asleep breathing softly and rhythmically. Ned smiled at the innocent sweet animal. So sad to think about why anyone would want to do harm to a poor defenseless critter. Anybody like that was considered nothing but a great big coward._

"_You're safe now, little one," he whispered, pulling the covers over him. "…safe for now."**

* * *

**_

_That same night, back at Lewis's home, Tuck popped his head out from under the bed in the other room. While the sheriff and his dog were doing an investigation, he hid where he hoped they wouldn't be able to find him. Seeing all that has happened, his lips formed in a snarl of fury. Not only did he lose the chance once again of a good beef meal, but already the lawmen had carried Lewis off to jail for drunkenness and possible involvement in the Yeller Gang's early crimes. And Tuck knew that by the time Lewis regained consciousness, it would be over for him and his masters by Lewis being forced to give away their hiding position._

_He hastened out the back door and all the way into the dark distant horizon where his masters hid. Now was the time to take drastic measures._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"_Grace, what on earth made you want to run out into the street? It's dangerous to be standin' still out on the road; especially when it's real busy. Those horses could have killed you."_

_Sampson tried his hardest not to yell at Grace; yet he couldn't help feeling fearful of losing her yesterday. To live on the street scraping for food or searching for shelter was not the kind of life he would want for her, especially in a town like this. The two companions spent the day in the backyard while Ned and Dan were at the office to question Lewis. They were not alone though. Grace was being closely watched by the house maid Sue. The night when Ned brought her in, she had already been in bed. She wore a grayish long-sleeve dress with a white apron over her waist. She had long black hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. Right now she was busy carrying bed sheets and other clothes to the room where she would be washing them. The back yard stretched fifteen feet wide on all sides. There was a water trough, a snubbing post, and pile of fresh hay to eat and sleep on. Grace didn't mind however what Sampson had been saying, but was uncertain of how to explain the intense crow encounter._

"_Some black bird told me that… maggots would be after me if I…I didn't move out soon," Grace stuttered trying to keep herself from crying, yet couldn't help remembering how the sly crow had scared her with his taunting verbs as she was on the ground in agony._

"…_then he…started poking my leg with his beak…and…then said it…was only a matter of time before they could smell me… within miles away," The young calf tried to keep her dignity. Right then, Sampson knew that someone else from high above had been scaring Grace with lies during his absence in town. Still she shouldn't have run off like that, but the next time one of those crows tried to pick on her again, he'll bash them on the head with a stick._

"_It's alright Grace…it's alright," Samson rubbed his paws on her left leg doing his best to comfort her. But he was beginning to realize that even if she wasn't with that boozer anymore, it may take a long time for her to recover from all that has happened._

_Come on think, think. Sampson struggled to try and remember what other kind of advice his uncle once gave him when one was not all in the highest of spirits. Whenever you're feelin' low, the one thing to do is sing a song of pure joy._

_That's it! Sampson's face widened in excitement. He knew exactly what to tell Grace. From below, he thought he saw a tear from her eye ready to fall on him, which encouraged him to move aside. It fell on the ground like a raindrop from the sky. Poor Grace. He thought sadly for a moment. To think that any creature big or small should have to live a life of misery, without knowing the good side of life was a dismal fact indeed. Well, here it goes._

"_You know Grace," he began. "Whenever I wasn't the least bit cheery, my uncle once said to me that a song was the best purification."_

_Grace stared down in confusion. At this time, her tears had dried up halfway before Sampson continued._

"…_In other words…can cure all feelings of painful memories." Grace still didn't know what he was trying to tell her. Sampson sighed. He thought it might be a little easier to show her something and then explain it._

"_Aha," he caught a glimpse of a field of what he thought were the most exquisite bluebonnets and violets he ever set eyes upon. _

"_Come on, let me show you," he signaled his right paw for her to follow where he was pointing. Standing upright from the hay, she wondered what he had to say now. _

"_You see this flower here?" The mouse held in front of him a violet. "Well, when the sun shines on a plant like this, it emerges from a small seed and grows to become what it looks like now. Without the sunshine, it might have still been nothing more than an ordinary seed rottin' away miserably." Grace was starting to understand a little about what he said, but Sampson wasn't finished yet._

"_Don't you see?" he asked softly, pushing the violet aside. "If you allow fear to fill your mind, then maybe, just maybe there'd be no point in lookin' on the bright side. My uncle taught me that no matter how hard times may be, there is also a time to enjoy all there is around you. Here I'll even show you how it's done."_

_Standing in front of Grace clearing his throat, he began to sing:_

_**Oh I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee**_

_**I'm going to Louisiana, my true love for to see**_

_**It rained all night the day I left the weather it was dry**_

_**The sun so hot, I froze to death, Susannah don't you cry**_

_A smile had now spread across the calf's face as he went on._

_**Oh Susannah, oh don't you cry for me**_

_**For I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee**_

_Grace was extremely pleased by the lyrics and the tone in Sampson's voice. Unfortunately it didn't seem to impress the entire critter neighborhood from outside the fence, leaving them to either close their ears tight, burrow underground, or to move to a different area on the plain. Even Sampson knew he had not much of a talent for singing, but that didn't stop him from going._

_**I had a dream the other night when everything was still**_

_**I thought I saw Susannah A-coming down the hill**_

_**The Buckwheat cake was in her mouth the tear was in her eye**_

_**Says I, I'm coming from the south Susannah, don't you cry**_

_Even now, Grace began to join in his singing to the last lyrics._

_**Oh Susannah, oh don't you cry for me**_

_**For I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee**_

_Her singing was not exactly all heavenly or like a happy little bluebird, instead it felt more like a pile of breaking glass falling one by one. Sampson didn't want to spoil her sense of fun by telling her that she was terrible. His singing was just as bad as hers. With his face scrunching into a frown from every high and low tone, he now wished his uncle or anybody had only given him singing lessons. _

"_You're doing wonderful Grace," he lied. "Now it's time for a new song."_

_For the rest of the afternoon, the painful sorrow that filled Grace had simply disappeared. She had never felt happy or peaceful ever since being saved from an even worse punishment, unaware of her tone-deafness. All thoughts of Lewis had been cleared out of her mind as Sampson tried to teach her dance moves and other country folk songs. _

_Sue, who had just finished with the laundry, came into the kitchen for a quick snack. Her ears perked up at an unusual high screech coming from outside. Irritated, she stepped out back to shut whoever made that horrible racket up. She was taken aback by the sight of Grace prancing around in circles with a small rodent beneath her feet. Sue hated mice as well as rats. Hesitantly, she rushed back inside to fetch the broom._

"_Shoo, shoo you dirty flea-bitten rodent!" She cried fiercely, interrupting the happy moment by chasing the little guy around the fence area. Grace, displeased with how her friend was being treated, caught Sue's dress with her teeth stopping her. This gave Sampson a moment to hide himself in the hay._

"_Now what's the matter with you?" Sue gave Grace an incredulous look. "Weren't you screamin' because of that rodent snappin' at your feet? I just had this dress altered you know." She snatched her dress out of the calf's mouth which was now crinkled._

"_What's going on Sue?" a voice brought Sue's attention to the backdoor. Ned Jones had just arrived back from an unsuccessful frustrating talk with Lewis. The despicable boozer had been ranting and raving from his jail cell about returning back home to deal with more important issues than to be accused of crimes he didn't commit. He had also been trying to come up with an excuse as to why he kept the WANTED posters and newspaper articles in a secret room. The deputies nearly believed he was never going to get them anywhere with all his nonsense and insisted that maybe they should just release him. But Ned refused, saying they should give him two more days before announcing his sentence. As complicating it may be, he was not the type of lawman to give up easily. _

"_Oh nothin' Ned, 'cept that this calf here almost ripped my dress while I've been chasin' away an ugly mouse," Sue answered sarcastically. Grace gave the maid a frown. Sampson is not ugly!_

"_Now Sue, I'm sure she was only playin' around with them. She must've not had much contact with friendlier animals before and is just startin' to get used to them."_

"_Honestly, why did you bother bringin' her here? Why not just send her to the cattle stockyard?" Sue had been wiping off some dirt from her dress. Already Grace was starting to not like this woman._

"_I have my own reasons," Ned answered annoyed. "Don't you still have the furniture to dust?" Sue walked back into the house without answering. Grace had given Ned a somewhat worried look as if she were ready to be shipped off to some place like a cruel orphanage for unwanted calves._

"_I've got something for you girl," Ned pulled out the milk bottle from his sleeve. Grace walked over to him slowly and suckled rather softly than last time._

"_Now don't you mind her," Ned whispered rubbing the back of her neck. "She's just sensitive when it comes to newcomers. Don't even know why I hired her in the first place…but no one's going to take you anywhere."_

_Oh well, at least Ned was still kind to her (when he's not on the job). Sue didn't really sound like Lewis, but Grace felt that she shouldn't have criticized her little friend or of her being here when she may not have any place else to go. Why would she chase Sampson anyway?_

"_Alright now," Ned took the bottle out of her mouth. "Now you go off and play with your little critter friends." He went back inside._

"_Sampson, Sampson where are you?" Grace whispered with her snout halfway beneath the hay. Out popped Sampson safe and unharmed._

"_Why do you think that woman was chasing you?" she asked puzzled._

"_Well…," this was a question Sampson almost didn't want to answer, but did anyway. "Most humans…like that woman like to think of us mice as nothin' but troublemakers; in my honest opinion that is."_

"_How do you mean?"_

"_Well…uh…hey about another song?"_

"_OK."_

_Sampson, glad to have changed the subject quickly, sang "**She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain When She Comes**" along with Grace. Let's hope she never finds out the terrible facts of rodents.**

* * *

**_

_Later that night, five suspicious figures stood atop a hill a mile away from the sleeping town. One of them had just lit up a cigarette while preparing to listen to what the others had planned._

"_How do you think we should go in there and get'im?" One man asked, keeping his gaze on the jail house._

"_Simple partner," one man with the scar across his face replied cunningly. "First thing at dawn, while the whole town is still asleep, we just waltz right in and bust those doors open. If any citizen catches or tries to put a stop to it, shoot'em."_

"_You leave all that to me," the rogue clicked his trigger in hand._

"_Save your energy now. Wouldn't want to start a riot now would we?" The others shook their heads._

"_What'd you think happened to that calf?"_

"_Don't know. Might as well be in another home. Either way, we'll see what the old man has to say 'bout it."**

* * *

**_

Disclaimer: The original lyrics to "Oh Susannah" were written by Stephen Foster in 1847, and were later set with new lyrics and became known as the "forty-miner" theme song during the California Gold Rush. Therefore, the song was created and belongs to him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Sue was indeed a hardheaded woman, but she was no Lewis in any other way. Only that she wasn't quite fond of animals or the fact that this one had been sleeping in Ned's bedroom the other night, when they should always be outside. She especially did not like anyone or anything being in her way whenever she was busy carrying stuff or tidying up rooms around the house. Sue was one of those people that liked to keep things neat and tidy without missing a spot. That morning she scolded Grace for standing on the steps of the back door with those dirty feet, saying that she just swept those steps. Luckily, Ned was still there to insist that the steps were only meant for people to walk up on, not to keep clean. Because everything gets dirty once in a while. It was time for him and Dan to head back to the office to see how the old loon had been reacting this time. _

"_Come on Grace, there's no need to worry about what that lady thinks of us," Sampson had been laying on the hay exhausted from too much singing and dancing from yesterday. Even his friend's terrible singing had been ringing in his eardrums all night. He still wished he could have had a better singing voice, because ever since Grace listened to him do it the first time, she believed that's what singing really was. Yet despite all that, he was glad to have made her happy enough to forget all the trouble she endured earlier. "Why, even I have been poked fun at numerous times before."_

"_Really?" asked Grace curiously. She had been staring up at the sky thoughtfully watching the birds fly by._

"_Sure, I mean look at me, you're big and I'm small. But once you grow older and realize that the world is complex, you get used to bein' made fun of. But as my uncle would put it, he would tell me that it don't matter what others think o' me. Its how I feel deep inside."_

"_Tell me more," Grace took her attention away from the sky and turned to her small companion._

"_Well you like singin' don't yah?" Grace nodded her head as he sat up from his lying position. "Now listen carefully, no matter what someone says, no matter what others think, and no matter how someone else sings, don't believe them, because as far as I know, no other singing in the world can compare to yours."_

"_Do you really mean that?" the little calf looked as if she were ready to break into another song._

"_You're darn right I do," Sampson had given her a friendly wink. Grace skipped off to where the flower bed was and started to sing Oh Susannah once more. The critters outside the field either covered their ears or hid underneath the burrow. Sampson grabbed a bundle of hay and covered his entire head hopefully to keep the noise level down. Maybe this wasn't such a bright idea. Then again what else could he have done; just let her be miserable for the rest of her life? When he mentioned about not mattering how someone else sang, he meant no matter how someone else sings badly. Oh well, maybe someone else can teach her the joy of life and singing. For now, he dozed off for a nice long nap.**

* * *

**_

"_Sheriff Jones, Sheriff Jones!" one of the deputies came running over to Ned all panic stricken and breathing heavily._

"_What is it, what happened?" Ned asked suspiciously. _

"_The prisoner has escaped and it seems the Yeller Gang has caused an outrage amongst the townspeople." Everyone had been dashing into their homes, locking up the stores putting up closed signs, or just simply running around yelling and panicking._

"_I knew that filthy rascal was on to something! Well I hate to have to do this!" Ned growled. Quickly, he reached into his holster and pulled out his revolver shooting into the air with a BANG! The townspeople stopped what they were doing and turned to where Ned and the deputy were standing._

"_Folks, folks, don't you see what's happenin' here? This is precisely what those crooks want from us! The more we give in to this fear, the weaker and defenseless we become!"_

"_But how'd you stand up to five outlaws armed from top to bottom?" an old man finally spoke through the crowd. "We have nothin' to fight off any one with that kind of attitude. Sorry sheriff, I'm movin' on outta here!" He mumbled pushing through the crowd._

"_See what I mean?" Ned warned_

_But everybody seemed to agree with the old man and went back to panicking through the streets pushing and shoving alongside each other._

_Frustrated, Ned let out a sigh. If the townspeople kept this up, there may not be a town no more. _

"_Sheriff, what do we do now?" the deputy asked him worriedly. Ned looked down at Dan who had a worried expression as well as he did. Moments later his courage returned; crimes like this will not go unpunished._

"_We track down those crooks tonight, even if it takes us all year."**

* * *

**_

_Meanwhile at Ned's home, Grace felt all tired out from playing fun and games with the little butterflies and felt it would be best if she joined in Sampson for a little afternoon nap. While they were napping, Sue had been doing her usual chores in the kitchen endlessly. If that vile beast had been wandering around here, she'd make sure everything had to be cleaned off._

_Because her mind was focused on the chairs around the table, she didn't hear or notice a mysterious masked stranger in dark clothing, riding atop a black steed, sneak around the back yard. His cold steel eyes gazed directly below on the sleeping calf that looked to be having sweet dreams of a place filled with paradise. _

"_Sleep well my young ruffian, because you're cumin' with me," he whispered dangerously as he lowered his right hand down to reach for her neck. Sampson, being a light sleeper, was awakened by the horses snorting and was shocked to find an outlaw attempting to kidnap his friend. He jumped up on his hand and bit as hard as he could into his thumb._

"_YEOUCH! What in tar nation is…oh a mouse?" Swinging his hand, Sampson was thrown aside and landed in the water trough with a small splash. "Now where were we? Ah yes…as for you!"_

"_Stop right there, who are you to bust in on someone's property?" shouted an angry Sue bursting out the backdoor. The stranger then pointed his gun at the house maid which sent her shivering on the ground in fear._

"_Don't move! I didn't come here for none o' yer worthless household items. I'll just be taken her if you don't mind!" He roared seizing the dozy calf by the scruff of her neck and flinging her over his saddlebow. By now, she had awakened to find herself a few feet above ground. She turned her head up and her drowsy eyes turned to fear leaving her to shriek and struggle in the rider's saddle, but to no avail, she could not break free. The rider elbowed her across the back of the head unconscious._

"_There, that'll shut ya up!" he turned to the maid still on the ground shivering. "Have a nice day ma'am!" Those were his last words before galloping off into the high plains with an unconscious Grace. The house maid slowly rose up in case the rider had something else in mind; such as turning around and shooting at her. But it never happened. Still, why would he be sneaking around to only be interested in a simple, yet dirty little calf?_

"_What happened here?" Ned appeared at the doorway surprisingly. _

"_Ned," Sue tried to explain as she stuttered. "There was a…rider back here and he…grabbed the dirty calf then…took off just like that."_

_Ned was unsure. "Did he mention anything about a drunkard or robbery?"_

"_No, he just said that he'd be takin' her along…and then just disappeared." Sue shrugged her shoulders._

"_Then that rider must be one o' them?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_A member of the Yeller Gang! Who else? All I know is that we got to stop those men before they cause this place to become a ghost town. Come along Dan." The dog turned to follow his master but not before, hearing a strange gurgling coming from the water trough. Going over to investigate, a wet mouse broke through coughing up water violently. Dan helped him out with his paw and placed him on the ground still hacking._

"_Did you see them, was it them?" he asked a drenched up Sampson._

"_Grace, he took Grace!" Sampson cried. "It had to be one o' them! We've got to help her!"_

"_Now calm down! Panicking won't get us anywhere. Climb on my back if you want to save your friend, but you'll need to do as you're told. We ain't got too much time to get there." Sampson hopped aboard between Dan's shoulders and held tightly to his collar._

"_Dan, hurry up!" Ned's voice could be overheard from the front porch to where they were standing. Dan followed his master's voice from the front porch._

"_Well, sheriff where to?" asked the deputy. The sheriff's men were now on their horses awaiting orders._

_Mounting his horse, Ned replied, "We allow my dog to sniff out their trail. He's been an expert at trackin' since I first got him. Do your thing boy."_

_The horse riders followed the sheriff's hunting dog from Ned's house to the high plains. What a view it was, seeing the sun begin to set below the horizon. No time for sightseeing, there were some outlaws still on the loose with an innocent baby animal as their only hostage. Who knows what they have in store for her._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Let's see your tongue now…c'mon girl," Dr. Ralph Smith had just arrived at the Patch of Heaven farm a few days earlier to check up on Grace. He had a long pointed nose, a thick bushy light grey mustache, round beady eyes, and a minimal amount of hair below his head with a bald spot on top, and wore a dark grey pinstriped suit. Grace rolled out her slender tongue for him to see.

"Hmmm, not a single sign of redness," he murmured, using a stick to hold down her tongue while he examined her throat with his eyeglass. Minimal amounts of sweat started pouring down her head from the pressure of having to hold completely still for nearly long seconds. Even her mouth had been drying up.

"Nope, nothin' in there," he replied, releasing her tongue. Next he checked her ears, eyes, and then leaned his head against her chest to listen to her heart. Just a regular normal thump, nothing unusual seemed to happen as he leaned closer for a better hearing. For the last part he stroked her hide to find any sort of injuries that may somehow be connected to her sudden outburst. Not a single scratch of freshness, but he thought he spotted at least one slightly odd scratch below her nape, a couple between her shoulder muscles, and more on her back.

"Hmmm now this is somethin' I ain't never seen everyday," he muttered suspiciously.

When he was done with her, he stepped out of the den to tell Pearl about what he might've known so far. Grace returned to lying down on the pile of hay to try and rest a bit. But it was so difficult for her because of all the memories that have now been haunting her mind since the night of that terrible dream. Despite being away from those cretins, she couldn't help having the feeling that someday, she may be taken apart from her family and back in the hands of cruel men once more.

"So how did it go, feelin' any better?" Maggie had entered the den a moment later to see how Grace had been doing. The pretty blond raised her head slowly, but did not turn her head. She just kept her sad eyes on the wall, not knowing which the right words to let out were.

Maggie gave a frustrated sigh. This was more difficult than she thought it would be. To think that anything so horrible would happen to a sweet gal like Grace. She couldn't really blame her, but even she sometimes didn't know the right words to say. "You know, lyin' there feelin' sorry for yourself ain't gonna make things better. You're missin' all the fun out here." Again Grace said nothing as she just laid her head down on the soft hay. Before Maggie could say anything else, Mrs. Calloway walked past her unexpectedly.

"Maggie here does have a point; ever since that night, you've hardly eaten anything, you don't help poor Pearl out like you use to, you've refused to step one foot outside, everyone is already worried about you dear. What else is there that you're not telling us?" Up until now, Mrs. Calloway had been both worried and concerned about her silent behavior and had just had it up to here with it. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't allow the heifer to mourn at all. The Grace she knew was a happy and peace-loving sweetie who not only carried a terrible tone in her so-called singing voice, but had helped her and Maggie save their home from the greedy hands of Alameda Slim. But could it be that she had now forgotten about how she saved them from his hypnotic yodeling and how she kicked the bell straight into his mouth? There had to be a way to raise her spirits up again.

"They found me and then…then…hurt me," Those were the only words to come out of Grace before she started to sob softly instead of hysterically.

Mrs. Calloway herself was not much of an expert at dealing with emotional issues such as this one, but sat by her side rubbing her back slowly with her hoof. Maggie tried to tell everyone outside that Grace still needed more time alone, before she closed the doors.

* * *

_Outside_

After a while, hardly anybody felt like doing much of anything cheerful today. It just didn't seem right to do so while Grace was in a state of depression. As they all moved further away from the barn walking slowly, the ones who stayed behind were Ollie and Audrey. The two of them wanted to hear more of what else had happened to Grace. But to make sure nobody saw them, they moved to the back of the den enough to keep out of sight.

The Dr. Smith had a long talk with Pearl outside of her house.

"So how is she?"

"Well her throat is clear, her eyes are pink but not too serious, heart rate is at a normal pace, and she's in good health as far as I know. But in what other way has she been reacting recently?"

"Well just the other day, she just sorta went haywire as if someone…or somethin' were tryin' to hurt her severely. Is there anything else I should know, what else did you find?"

"When I examined her hide, I thought I saw what appeared to be scars," he replied, scratching under his left eyelid.

Pearl was stunned. "What do you mean scars?"

"I mean that it may be possible that someone may have mistreated her at an earlier age and somehow…she started to remember it. How long have you had her by the way?"

"Ten to fifteen months I believe," Pearl answered with her arms crossed.

"I'm only a doctor, but from what I know, cattle that have been through traumatic experiences can sometimes act aggressive and may feel threatened when provoked. So if she starts actin' stressful in any way again, be aware o' your location and try not to get in between her and a wall or gate. And if anything else should happen, just let us know." He finished packing his bag then turned to head out the front gate from where the sign labeled Patch of Heaven hanged from above.

"Oh and another thing…" Dr. Smith called out to Pearl before she headed inside the house. "…give her a few spoonfuls of sulfur and molasses. It'll bring the redness from her eyes down."

Pearl waved back to him as a sign of thanks then went into the house to see if she had any of that substance.

* * *

_Somewhere in the canyons_

_It would seem like hours have passed since the rider had swiped the calf from the sheriff's house and was now heading his way to what appeared to be an old abandoned mansion, surrounded by a few acres of tall trees. The rest of the gang had been awaiting his return, standing in front of the doorway with a familiar drunkard leaning against the pole._

_Stepping off his black steed, he dragged the unconscious calf off his saddlebow and carried it over his shoulder to the gang._

"_Ain't this the same cow that had been trespassin' on our property," the rider humbly asked the drunkard._

"_Yep, she's the one," the rider handed her over to him. The drunkard glared at the calf he held in his muscular arms, with a menacing smirk on his face._

"_She'll be sorry when she wakes up," he whispered, carrying her inside. The gang just shrugged their shoulders and followed behind him._

* * *

_Later that night, inside the mansion_

_Grace fluttered her eyes nervously. The last thing she remembered was hanging over the saddle of a horse, then being knocked out cold. Her head still hurt quite a bit from that blow. As she regained consciousness along with her vision, she found that she was in a completely different room engulfed in darkness with the chirping of crickets outside. _

"_Hello…Sampson, Sampson…are you here?" No answer. All she heard was the rustling of leaves being blown by the dusty wind._

_This didn't look like the sheriff's home or Lewis's place. No, the wooden floor had bents and cracks with nails improperly hammered at a few curves of the boards. The ceiling was a bit cracked as well, but not nearly as half-damaged as the floor. Cobwebs hung and littered from above at the edge of the walls and the dusty old furniture._

"_I better find Sampson and get on outta here," Grace whispered to herself, rising up to leave. But something was holding her back. Once again she tugged, but still couldn't move. She found herself tied and restrained in a tightening painful leather halter to a pole. Despite the aging of this mansion, the pole still stood strong enough to keep from falling. She tugged harder and harder, but could not pull free. Her face tinged and ache with pain. Where was she anyway?_

"_Awake already aren't yah?" a rough voice startled her from behind. She turned around swiftly and came face to face with Tuck! An evil smirk crossed his jaw as his eyes locked onto her shuddering position._

"_Wh…where…am I?" was all Grace could stutter nervously._

"_Well let me tell you that we're miles away outta town, fleein' from the law now on our heels, with my masters out searchin' for food and other supplies with me guardin' you to make sure you ain't goin' nowhere tonight." The Doberman let out a furious snarl of anger with Grace struggling to back away from him while still tied up to the pole. "Because o' you, my masters had to break old Lewis outta jail before he would be forced to reveal our hidin' place. It's too dangerous to go back there now; any day they might come lookin' for us here, with you!" Grace dodged Tuck as he swiped at her. "Oh and do you know what else happened?" _

_Grace shook her head._

"_Old Lewis nearly blew his casket while behind the bars you put him in. He said he'll be ready for yah with a big surprise, when he gets back." _

_The calves eyes widened and she gasped. "NO, I don't want to!" Once more, she tugged at the halter violently._

"_Look here boys, seems the calf has finally awakened from her peaceful nap!" The Yeller Gang had just arrived back from their hunt out in the wilderness. What they dragged in looked to be like a deer or bison. Lewis strolled in with an armful of sausages, coffee bags, biscuits, and can of beans he bought from a nearby town. Of course, no one suspected anything as they entered there, because they just acted like any normal traveler would do. They would need that stuff for the next few days in traveling to an area out of state._

_Setting the items down on an old table near the ash-dusted fireplace, he marched toward Grace with the floor creaking after every step he took._

"_Over here Tuck!" The gang leader snapped his fingers to get his dogs attention. Tuck moved out of Lewis's way and went over to where his masters were preparing an excellent meal. His mouth watered and drooled with hunger. He was handed a thick piece of some of the juicy tendered sausage._

_Lewis stared down at the tied up calf with his fists curled up tightly in a rage. Growling under his breath, his right hand reached for the end of the halter untying it, then pulling Grace roughly closer to where he stood. Grace, now terrified by what she saw on her "owner's" face, struggled to pull back. Yet his grip was far too powerful for her to resist as he succeeded in pulling her closer. Getting down on one knee, he seized Grace by the halter and swung her over his left arm._

"_Stupid mangy bovine!" he hollered furiously as he began to lunge her back repeatedly with his right hand. "I spent two days in a jail cell for some false crime while you were out getting' away with enjoyin' yourself!" He kept hitting her back severely as he continued ranting and raving about how he had been sitting miserably in solitary confinement. Grace didn't dare make a sound or even attempt to escape his grip as he kept striking her painfully. Her eyes were watering after every blow. Not as bad as when he whipped her, but still it stung like fire._

_Moments later, it was over. Taking the end of the halter, he tied it back to the pole and gave one last glance at the calf that stood panting heavily with her tongue hanging loose. Grace didn't notice his hand swipe down and thwack her across the cheek which also stung like fire. Lewis said and did nothing more as he went over to join the gang around the fireplace for an evening meal._

_Feeling as if she had been crushed in spirit and having no more strength left, Grace collapsed on the floor and broke into a few sobs. Her own reward for attempting to flee from her "owner" was a painful hit on her back and a hard stinging blow across her cheek. This is what Tuck meant when he mentioned that Lewis had a big surprise for her. The outlaws were too busy enjoying their meal and talking to even notice or hear her sobbing in the corner. Maybe if she hadn't run away into town, none of this would have happened. Would she ever be able to escape out of this mess?_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_By the time the outlaws finally went to sleep, Grace could feel her stomach rumbling and aching with hunger. She hadn't eaten since the morning of yesterday for she knew she needed something to eat fast. The only problem was she was still tied to the pole and could only reach out an inch further. Focusing on where the fireplace stood, she thought she spotted two red apples on a small table not too close to where the men slept close to. One of the bandits must have accidentally left them there when they arrived back from their hunting trip. Now if only she could make part of the floors rumble a bit enough to roll them over to her location without waking them. Stomping her front feet on the floorboards, the apples shook and rolled around the table, but did not fall to the ground. Grace tried again and this time, one of them fell with a soft thud rolling over next to her feet. Relieved, she picked it up with her mouth and walked back to the darkest corner to eat it. The apple was indeed the juiciest tempting fruit she had ever tasted. When she was finished, she hid the core under a loose floorboard sticking out so that none of the bandits would suspect that she had been nosing around in their food supplies. There was still the other apple sitting atop the small table and Grace was still feeling hungry. Using the same technique she did with the first apple, it too rolled off with a soft thud next to her. This one was fatter, juicier, and more delicious than the first one. It was even enough to give her a full stomach for now, but her back still burned whenever she turned from side to side. It was now back to this situation where she is being abused, only now she didn't have a little companion for comforting or to sooth her searing hide. Throwing the core down the loose floorboard, she went right to sleep._

* * *

_Somewhere out in the desert_

"_Are you absolutely sure those crooks have gone in this direction?" The sheriff and his deputies had been riding out in canyon landscape all through the past couple of hours, and there was no sign of the crooks anywhere. Already, their mouths had been watering from thirst, due to the smoldering heat._

"_I can't be sure," the sheriff replied, reaching for his water jug. "I only know that if we find that calf, then we find the gang. Hopefully, she's still alive." The sheriff's hound walked over to the horse his master had been riding up upon. The sheriff gave him a proud smile which might have been telling him he did his best in catching their scent. Seems the best they could do for now was either find the nearest town or set up camp for the night._

_The sheriff let out a sad sigh. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel responsible for leaving the poor calf behind at his home. At this moment, she must be out somewhere waiting for him and his deputies to come to her rescue. And if they did find her in time, she would have to be taken further and further away from her old home and placed in a safer haven. Because their town was simply too unfriendly, dangerous, and he couldn't keep her since his house maid just didn't like animals. Besides, she needed to be around the company of another herd of farm animals for good companionship. But if she wasn't alive by the time they got to her, then maybe possibly they'll still be able to have the outlaw gang in the palm of their hands. A law was the law._

"_There's a town over there. We'll rent a room at the inn."_

* * *

_That morning at the old mansion_

"_Wait a minute; I could've sworn I left the two apples sitting here last night." The leader of the gang commented. It was just about the time for them to move out of the place._

"_Hmmm, maybe someone must've already eaten them," Lewis eyed the small round table to where the sleeping calf laid next to the pole. _

"_Someone or something," Furrowing his brow, he walked over to her position. He did spot the loose floorboard, but no sign of any apple core near Grace or under the board. Of course not, because it was too dark to see even a stick or stone. No use trying to stick his hands in there either, as he felt he would only be touching dust or possibly a venomous critter. _

"_C'mon wake up you!" he demanded, kicking her in the stomach. It was enough to send her wide awake jumping, but not the least bit painful. Grace was a little unsteady from the wake-up call with her eyes still half closed. She could see that she was still in the abandoned mansion from last night. Her back still ached from those hits Lewis had given her. She couldn't believe this was happening again. After stretching out her legs, Grace didn't notice Lewis walk right behind as she then felt something grab her hair, then pull her head back causing her to gaze upward at the old ceiling. Soon her eyes met her "owner's". _

"_I better not find you nosin' through our bags anytime soon!" He shouted at Grace, making her eyes close as he did. The more he pulled back, the more Grace felt fearful of having her spine snap. He still had one more thing to say. "When we finish our meals, you can have leftovers!" Thankfully, he released her, making her move her neck left and right to try and ease the pain._

"_No problem Lewis, we can just pick out some more on our way outta here," the leader reminded him as he walked out the front door with some items in his arms. _

_Grace had been lead out forcefully by Lewis tugging at the halter that still restrained her painfully. She had no other option but to obey before Lewis could threaten to do something even worse to her if she didn't. She wasn't sorry for eating the two apples, because she knew that she needed them more than they ever did. Her "owner" sounded true to his word about the leftovers; at least it was better than nothing. Once outside, Lewis picked up a long thick stick which lay next to the front steps and carried it over his left shoulder. Grace had hoped it wouldn't be what she thought it would._

* * *

_Somewhere in a nearby town_

"_Did you by any chance notice any five familiar fellows in dark clothing walk into town a while ago?" Sheriff Jones questioned the owner of the inn, from which they've spent the night in._

"_Nope, not that I know of sir," the owner shook his head at the counter. Right now, they were checking out. "Maybe you ought to have a word with the other sheriff of this town. He sees a lot of things that go on around here. Just two blocks behind this place." He pointed his thumb back._

_Thanking him for his advice, the lawmen stepped out the main door and turned to the left side of town._

* * *

_At a train station_

"_Six tickets please," The bandit leader paid for train tickets with some money they stole from the bank five days ago (during the time when Grace tried to make her own escape into town due to her fear of maggots coming after her)._

_About an hour had passed since the men left the old mansion, and were attempting to flee to the most forgotten town in the Old West. Not only was it truly abandoned, but it was also a safe haven for outlaws who were never caught or tried. It had been (who knows how long) for them since they left the place and now it was time for them to return with everything they've earned (or stole). The ticket-booth salesman asked nothing of this or why there was a calf panting so heavily next to a pole where a fat guy stood, knowing it was probably none of his business._

"_There you go partner, just wait over there; the train will be here in about ten minutes," he replied handing the leader the tickets._

_The outlaws decided to make the best of the situation while waiting on a bench, pretending to act like normal citizens waiting for a ride out of town. How boring it was for them to wait ten long minutes, but they couldn't risk blowing their cover in front of everyone. And none of them carried anything valuable on them. Grace could only stare blankly at the wooden floor miserably as they still waited, with Lewis holding on to the end of the halter. She already felt like crying, but felt she still needed to keep her dignity while still in the presence of these men. Otherwise they might have found something else to poke fun at._

_TOOT! TOOT! The train had finally arrived at the station. Before boarding, the conductor told Lewis that all cattle and horses needed to be loaded onto the stock cars in the center of the train. Lewis saw no point in objecting and had agreed to do so; like any normal townsfolk would react when requested to wait in line at a bank._

_To Grace, the inside of the stock car was engulfed in an unpleasant darkness. It stretched about 8 ft wide, had solid sides and small windows for ventilation near the top. There were no other animals in the stock car; she would be the only traveling animal on this one since the outlaws horses were loaded onto a separate one. After being shoved in by force, Grace was then tied to a metal pole in the right corner. Over there, she had a sickening feeling in her stomach that this was about to become the most intensely, depressing, longest ride she had ever experienced. Another thought that filled her with the most painful stress was her not knowing where this trip would be taking her._

"_Don't think you'll be goin' anywhere on this train ride, bovine!" Lewis scoffed with a sly grin crossing his lips. Grace gazed at her surroundings. From the looks of this confinement, there would be no possibility of escape, especially while restrained with a tight halter. This would be a lot worse than the shack Lewis always locked her up in. Unexpectedly, Grace felt the lead of the halter from beneath her chin being forcefully pulled. Next thing she knew, her eyes were locked onto her "owner's" face. "Until you've grown and are fattened enough, you're mine!" Releasing the lead, he placed his right foot on her back, forcing her to lie down and demanding that she take a seat. Finally, he stormed out of the opening to allow the conductor to close the sliding door. The darkness from inside covered everything entirely. The memories of her being confined in a small area with a lack of space to run around in quickly clouded her mind. And without her little friend, there would be no hope of comfort to help her pull through her feelings of uneasiness. She was on her own. The only lights to shine through were from the small windows. The sweet smell of freedom had been taken away from her. Ignoring the pain on her back along with the sounds of the train moving off, she slowly lowered her head on the metal floor with a saddened expression._

_The past few hours of traveling on this train ride were indeed complicated. Grace tried to make the best of this situation by getting her mind off of the things that made her feel sad or angry. Her singing managed to help her forget all that had happened, even if it was only for a short amount of time. Grace thought of Sampson and her singing and dancing back on Ned's homestead, while still humming Oh Susannah_

"_Sheesh! For a moment it sounded like somethin' dyin' in here!" a horrid screeching voice broke Grace out of her singing mood. Looking up, there were four crows perched atop one of the small windows to the left. Something sinister had been hiding behind those beady eyes on their feathered faces and yellow beaks. They looked similar to the crow that had been taunting her back on Lewis's property. _

"_Who are you?" Grace asked in a worried tone. The calf could feel her blood run cold when the crows gave her an evil smirk._

"_We're crows you idiot!" one crow blurted out. "I can see that you're still alive. I reckon the maggots haven't even caught you yet?"_

_The young calf's eyes widened at that familiar comment about maggots. _

"_It was you! You're the same bird I saw back on the barn!" She shouted at the flock._

"_Wow, maybe you're not as dumb as me and my pals thought you'd be," he taunted as his feathered companions snickered at his comment._

"_Just go away! I don't wanna hear anymore of what everyone has been telling me! I'd rather be alone singing than listening to you!" Grace exploded then turned away from them to sit back down in the dark corner. The crows exchanged surprising glances at each other. So that's what it was. It was only her wretched singing. For a moment, they thought someone had been dying._

"_Don't you even realize what's about to happen to you?" one of the crows spoke after a brief moment of silence. Grace still lay there with her head facing the solid wall. "You're in danger of becoming what cowpokes like to refer to as grilled steak!" _

_Grace rose up in bewilderment when he mentioned the last two words of his comment. _

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I mean the moment this train stops, those folks are gonna fatten you up till you're ready to be EATEN!"_

"_What?"_

"_Don't tell me you never heard of what happens to cattle who are raised on farms. You're one of those animals, who are only meant to provide leather which comes from your hide and after that, its supper time!"_

_The crow perked his head up letting out a laugh as his other buddies did the same thing._

_The moment Grace heard this; she felt a cold shivering chill running down her spine through fear. She thought back at the time her "owner" had been shoving spoonfuls of that awful filth down her throat for who knows what. After all the abuse he put her through, it was not only to keep her under his orders but to make sure she'd become the fanciest meal on a plate. That's what he meant when he told her she was still his until she had grown fattened enough. This can't really be what they were planning to do to her, could it?_

"_Stop it, stop laughing!" she cried weakly with angry tears welling in her eyes. The crows laughing grew slower and stopped._

"_Face the facts bovine!" the first crow retorted. "If you don't believe us, then you'll see for yourself!"_

_He couldn't have been more right after the train began to slow down with the whistle blowing outside. Feeling as though he had said the magic words, he knew this was their cue to leave._

"_Oops, time to go," The crows flew off into the dusky sky. _

_Grace let out a sigh of relief when she heard them depart. At least she didn't need to worry about hearing anymore of their cheeky tormenting verbs. Then again, what if what they mentioned was true? Being turned into a grilled up meal. Could it be true or were they only toying with her emotions for their own enjoyment? She became lost and alone with those questions running through her mind that she didn't even notice the slide door opening with Lewis coming in after her._

"_Come on, get up!" Lewis demanded, pulling on her halter. Grace obeyed his orders as he dragged her out of the stock car. She looked around her as passengers and other citizens walked by outside the train station. Hoping at least one of them would take pity on her; she gave each passerby a sorrowful look in her tearful eyes. But all they did was stare, and then went on their way. Seemed she was nothing more than a traveling belonging of the rancher leading her out._

_Nobody even cared. Despite the sadness filling her eyes, nobody cared. Lewis tugged harder on the halter to make her move quickly whenever she began to slow down. She felt a sob rising in her chest, mixed with pain, sorrow, and fear. Neither the bandits, or the guard dog even set one eye on the grief stricken calf as they were too busy trying to act natural when walking across town. The town along with the citizens walking by was starting to get blurry from the tears welling up in her eyes. _

_Only Lewis kept a sharp eye on Grace who hung her head down in misery. If she tried to make a move, he would make sure he deals with her behavior the hard way. After several minutes of walking, the outlaws walked into a saloon, but not before tying Grace to a wooden post near the doors leaving their guard dog to watch over her. All they needed now was a little gambling, restful beer to drink, and to discuss more of their plans. Swaying back and forth as if she were feeling sick, Grace thought she could hear the sound of clanking spurs coming toward her direction. Turning to her left, she thought she saw three men, with gold badges walk in the saloon. Lawmen?_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_Could these three men really be lawmen? If not, then why else would they be wearing badges on their shirts? Grace continued to eye the saloon doors swinging after the men had seriously entered. Maybe they're here to put a stop to the Yeller Gang's ruthless crimes._

_She moved halfway up the porch to have a better look when she noticed that Tuck darted off into the street chasing and barking at a cat. There was no need to worry about him. It was not worth watching or hearing him crash into people and knocking over objects._

"_Listen up folks!" the tallest of the men shouted to the crowd inside the saloon. The music and dancing had stopped playing to hear what he had to say. "We got word from the telegraph that a group of five outlaws, better referred to as the Yeller Gang is on the loose and has already terrorized a town and robbed a bank not too long ago." The middle man stepped up to continue the details._

"_In other words, they may be hidin' out somewhere in this town or elsewhere close by. If any of you folks see somethin' suspicious happenin', come to the sheriff's office right away!"_

"_The Yeller Gang?" a plump woman long blue dress rose up from her chair. "Who are they?"_

"_We don't know miss, but as lawmen, it is our duty to protect this town and the citizens." Then the third man stepped forward to pass around a few WANTED posters to a couple of the smoking cowpokes sitting at a few tables._

"_This is the description of the bad men; we are always at the office if ya'll need to report any unusual activity," he replied as he handed the last few papers to the dancers and piano player._

_Everyone in the saloon went back to their daily routine after the lawmen walked out through the swinging doors. With the piano playing, the leader of the gang stared down at his beer bottle in worry and slammed his fist on the wooden counter._

"_Great!" he whispered so that he wouldn't be attracting anybody's attention. It seemed that the law here was now already on to them. Then he whispered urgently to his comrades. "Listen up, the lawmen already know about us. So whatever happens, play it cool."_

"_We ought to leave before we're recognized," one bandit whispered._

"_Why leave right away?" replied the leader. "Any one of these folks could be a crook in disguise. Yet they're all playin' it cool."_

"_Perhaps the sheriff who had paid a visit to my house sent them that message," Lewis murmured staring down at the counter. "I reckon he and his men are still on our trail." Then he took a few gulps from his beer bottle. "I hope he hasn't told them about my calf."_

"_If he has, then those men would have mentioned it while they were in here," the leader debated then took a gulp of the beer. "Besides we'll just say that the calf was a wanderer lookin' for a home to stay in."_

"_Ya know what partner," Lewis began with a sly broad grin. "You're a genius." Perhaps they could still get away with hiding from the law._

"_Don't mention it," the leader responded sneering back.**

* * *

**_

_In the law enforcement office_

"_Say, did any o' you notice how those five men at the booth weren't lookin' in our direction when we was handin' out them papers?" the tallest ranger spoke up as he was nailing the WANTED poster of the Yeller Gang on the wall._

"_Ever seen a whole bunch o' strangers wearin' black before?" the middle ranger bantered. "Now that you've mentioned it, I did notice that another strange man sat next to them at the stool. What else did the telegraph say?"_

"_Well it said that the five men may be prowlin' about the valley with a round male fugitive. And that they have a young golden calf with them."_

"_Oh you mean like the one tied to the…?" the men stared at each other for a moment then burst out of the office to find the calf missing from the spot. To their right, Lewis was now leading Grace down to where the barber shop stood._

"_You two check out the saloon while I handle that ruffian there," the tallest lawmen ordered as the two nodded and walked back in the saloon to have a serious talk with those black strangers. "Hey you, stop right there!" Lewis stopped dead in his tracks when the lawman approached behind him._

"_What is it deputy?" Lewis asked in an irritated tone as he turned to face him. "I don't have time to be dealin' with questions you want answered."_

"_Just one question partner," the lawman replied crossing his arms with a serious look on his face which meant business. "Is that your calf?"_

_Grace took one look at her "owner" then at the lawman. She had not expected this man to ask a question about her. _

"_Now what kind o' question is that to ask?" Lewis spat tugging on the halter when he noticed that Grace was attempting to sneak off. Then he decided to come up with a lie. "See how it's been walkin'? The poor thing was out wanderin' all alone in the scorchin' desert with no food or water." Grace stared up at Lewis with an incredulous expression. "Then I saw it bein' chased by hungry coyotes so I had to run in and save it." Then he stroked back a few hairs from the calf's hide to reveal the cuts made from the whippings she had been given. "Take a look at these if ya don't believe me. If I hadn't shown up, them nasty ol' vermin might have finished her off by now." Right now, Grace felt her head burn from hearing Lewis tell a string of lies. She knew that she had received these scars from his abuse and not from coyotes. Hopefully this lawman was not close to believing everything Lewis said._

_The lawman feeling unsure about Lewis's words lowered his head to gaze directly at the scars on the calf's back. For him, it was almost hard to tell if they were really claw marks since most of the scars were sprawled in different directions. Claw marks were usually lined straight together. These look more like cuts made from a riding crop or a whip! He thought suspiciously._

"_Alright partner," he announced rising up. "I think you better come with me to have a talk in my office. I have somethin' else I'd like to show ya."_

_Before Lewis could think about not cooperating, he didn't look or notice Grace raise her front feet up and jam them roughly onto his feet as hard as she could._

"_Ahh, oh, ouch my foot!" he cried in pain hopping on his left foot while holding onto his right where Grace had stomped on. This gave Grace a chance to make a run for it down the streets without turning back. Lewis's teeth pulled up in a snarl when he saw what she had done. "Why you mangy bovine, I'll get you for this!" he shouted while still hopping._

_The lawman stared at Lewis in bewilderment from hearing him say that to a baby animal. He sure didn't sound like he wanted to help her at all. Now it was more the other way around. But that wasn't the only thing bothering him; a loud crash had exploded from the saloon. The lawman whirled around to find the gang leader storm out with his face half covered and a pistol in hand._

"_Don't anybody even try to follow us!" he warned as he pointed his pistol straight at the saloon entrance._

"_Stop right there you!" the lawman commanded with his hand held up in front of the dastardly bandit. "Where do you think you're goin'…" his hand reached for the bandana covering his mouth, "Scar Face Sam?" He finished after removing it._

"_How did you know?" the leader exploded stepping back in shock from having his true identity discovered._

"_I recognize that dreadful scar when I see it," replied the lawman. "You're the same bandit responsible for all the bank robberies and town shootings from long ago. I should've known. Now I think it's time for you to be put behind bars." _

_Scar Face Sam stared madly at the lawman with a sly grin. Neither he nor his comrades were the type of criminals to give up that easily. So what if his identity had been revealed? Turning his back slowly, he grabbed hold of the lawman's right arm and swung him over his shoulder sending him crashing into a pile of barrels._

"_Let's blow this joint!"**

* * *

**_

_Somewhere in town_

_Grace galloped in fear down the streets of town panting and huffing. She ran like she never ran before in her life with her mind only set on trying to get as far away from Lewis and those bandits as possible. Deep inside, she almost didn't care if she might end up living on the streets of a different town or in the wilderness. Anyplace was better than being held by thieves and an abusive owner with a terrible attitude._

_All around her, the townspeople were running around in a panic or taking cover in the buildings or ducking because of the fact that a few men in dark clothing were now riding atop their horses shooting their bullets through windows. Seeing this, Grace panicked and tried to search for a place to take cover. One woman had shoved her aside screaming which caused Grace to bump her head against the wall of a building. The force of this hit caused her vision to turn a bit fuzzy. Her head ached terribly as she was close to fainting upon the dusty highway. _

_In the next moment, Grace could hear the clapping of running hooves approaching her direction and a hand seize her by the scruff of her neck, and then cover her mouth. Sam, the gang leader had caught her up ahead and reached down to swing her over his saddlebow while riding atop his black steed. Her vision soon returned and Grace found that she was being held a few feet above ground as the thundering of hoof beats still shook the ground and echoed in her chest. The frightened calf wanted to jump off and run away, but even kicking and struggling seemed useless at this point. Even if she tried to do so, she'd be injured or killed on the narrow dusty highway. There was no escape from the clutches of these terrible bandits._

Author's note: Yes; it's been a long time since I updated this story because of me being distracted by my Halloween and Christmas fanfic. But now that they're finished, I can go back to working on this one. I hope to get it done by the end of spring.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_All that night, and on through the next day, the bandits rode eastward. Whenever their horses became tired out from traveling, they had to rest briefly in order for them to regain their strength. There was still enough food for them to prepare for the next five or six days. Although the bandits preferred to have the taste of meat in their mouths, they feared that a campfire would get them caught by more of those irritating lawmen who might be hiding out here. They had enough trouble with those ruffians interfering already._

_During those hours, Grace was either tied to a tree, bush or a cactus to keep her from running away. She had been allowed to graze on green grass if there was any. It tasted fresh and sweet, but Grace was a little concerned about why Lewis didn't already shout at her or beat her for stomping on his feet back in town. Perhaps he wasn't in the mood to be dealing with her behavior. Or maybe he was worried that if he did abuse her, she would scream loud enough to attract unwanted attention to more lawmen that may be following them. Well whatever the reason, she didn't need to worry about that, for now at least. It was best for her to mind her own business by continuing with her grazing. She was still fumed over his pack of lies about her scars. What she didn't know was that Lewis was planning on punishing her once they were out of this territory._

_Tuck on the other hand, had done a little pick pocketing from the town after growing bored of chasing the cat. He had stolen necklaces, earrings, and some money to give to his masters. Scar Face Sam had awarded him with another sausage. His job was to keep an eye on Grace as well as guarding the trail to watch for oncoming trespassers. As always, the Doberman was proud of himself for pleasing them. This had sickened Grace in a way._

_When it was time to move out again, Grace had to always be carried over the horse of the gang leader since her legs were too small for her to keep up with the rest of the horses on ground. And sometimes she would fall asleep, her head bumping on the horses ribs. This journey was long enough to leave her tired out from the lack of rest. If she did doze off, Sam had given her a light pat behind the head to waken her to keep from slipping. In her fatigue, Grace thought she saw the canyon plateaus painted in all sorts of bright colors mixed with red, yellow, orange, and green. Sometimes the silhouettes in the sky took the shapes of cowboys on horses chasing after a herd of buffalo. She thought the skies looked more beautiful with the clouds going by in a blur when dusk had fallen. _

_The bandits never passed through the plateaus because the rivers in that area were rumored to be inhabited by an Indian tribe known as the Comanche. So they had to ride under the shadows of the plateaus to avoid being spotted. It wasn't that they were afraid, but it was also rumored that most tribes in some parts of the west had grown to be hostile and distrustful of white strangers in their territory for many good reasons. Grace would often wonder why some of these plateaus had these strange markings carved into them. But she was feeling too drowsy to care since the hot day made her feel tired._

_By the time the sun had been setting, the bandits made it through the Indian's territory and were able to move eastward over the Rocky Mountains as quickly as they could. Right now, Grace had been awakened by a slap behind her head from Sam. She opened her eyes halfway and looked around weakly not knowing where she was now. She swallowed dryly from many long hours without food and water and was feeling nearly dehydrated. Grace was hoping that the Yeller Gang would soon stop at an area with a river somewhere. The tired calf managed to get a few glimpses of a few acres of forest in the valley below the ridge they were crossing. This path seemed narrow in different places with trees and boulders on the edge of the cliffs. Hopefully Sam's horse wouldn't loose its footing and tumble over the rocky slope.**

* * *

**_

Later that night

"_This looks like a nice place to stop for tonight!" announced Sam. The gang had reached a grass covered plateau area with a flowing river moving downstream and a few trees. They were only able to see it perfectly because of the full moon and stars twinkling in the nighttime sky. And it was the perfect place for their horses to graze on the grass and drink from the river. _

_Mounting off his horse, Sam pulled Grace off his saddle by the back of her neck. The calf quickly rushed over to the river to have a drink. She was gracious to hear Sam say that they would be stopping in this place only because she was thirsty. Of course, she knew it was foolish for her to believe that the bandits would be treating her nicely throughout this never ending trip. She could only keep her attention to the river as she felt the cold water run down her throat and filling her dehydrated body._

"_Hey Gene, why don't you go out and see if you can find us some meat?" Sam asked one of his men as he pulled out a kettle and metal pot out of his traveling bags. The bandit agreed to do so and headed over to where he hoped to find a deer, buffalo, or wild bird. Another bandit named Carl unpacked the remaining dry foods they would soon be having with their meal. Lewis came back carrying wood for the fire and set it in a neat pile. What was he going to do once they rode out of Indian Territory? He couldn't help but feel that he should have been taking care of something already._

"_Yah know, I can't help but shake this feelin' that I've forgotten somethin'," he murmured thoughtfully while scratching his bearded chin. "I know I was s'posed to be takin' care of it once we'd be out o' sight, but what?" he was still trying to figure it out._

"_Would it have anything to do with the calf over there?" Sam pointed to Grace who was still drinking from the river._

_Lewis took one glance at Grace then finally remembered that he was supposed to deal with her for stomping his feet and trying to run away from him. His mind had been so focused on getting as far away as possible that he had almost forgotten about the little brat's behavior toward him. By now, she must have thought she was off the hook. Well he was about to let her know that nobody ever gets off without being punished._

"_I remember now, thanks for remindin' me," he said stomping toward Grace with his fists clenched tightly. He paused when he felt Sam put a hand over his shoulder. For a moment Lewis glanced back and found that Sam placed a whip made of rawhide into his left hand. Pleased to find that he would not be using his upper hand tonight, he continued stomping and would thank Sam later._

_Grace was crouching by the edge of the river drinking to replenish her body from the many long hours of traveling. She was still feeling relieved to feel the nice taste of cool fresh water run through her stomach. But when Lewis's reflection appeared in the water, her relief was soon turning into fear when she also noticed the look of fury on his face. She ceased drinking and stepped back as if her "owner" was watching her in from the water preparing to pull her in._

"_Don't think you'll be gettin' away that easy," Lewis growled as he snatched the end of the lead attached to the halter. Grace winced as he yanked her further away from the river and past the already lit campfire. "Now that we ain't in town no more, it's about time I teach you a lesson about your misbehavior." _

_Grace was now hurting from the tight halter digging into her face as Lewis kept pulling to drag her over to a tree implanted fifteen feet from the campfire. She felt her face sweat and redden with fear realizing that Lewis had perhaps not forgotten about her mishap after all. And as usual, she sensed that he was preparing to give her at least thirty strokes from the whip he held in his other hand. In fact, she had been given thirty whenever she got in trouble back at the other place she was ashamed to call home. Grace didn't care where the whip came from since she was trying to keep a strong hold of her bad feelings so that she hoped Lewis wouldn't see it. Her frightened eyes stung with unshed tears._

"_Get down on your stomach bovine!" he hissed dangerously after tying the lead around the tree in a knot. "Thirty hits are what you need." She was right._

_When Grace was not moving fast enough, he had to force her down on her stomach impatiently by placing his hands roughly on her shoulder blades. The calf laid there flat on the grassy mound without moving an inch of her body, awaiting her punishment. She pressed her teeth against her right hoof thinking that it would keep her from screaming. Hearing the whip crack in the air like lightening, Grace felt a lash of fire on her back as she heard Lewis counted "one." It felt as if she had been burnt. She winced at its touch, but kept still. Each blow grew more painful than the other one as she felt hate toward her "owner" loom up inside of her, but was afraid of showing it in front of him._

_When Grace had received her thirteenth stroke, her teeth slipped off her hoof and she was now biting her lower lip before wincing at the fourteenth hit. By the twentieth stroke, her eyes watered and tears streamed down her cheeks, but still she sat without making a sound. The harder she bit onto her lip, the more she tasted blood. As much as she hated Lewis, Grace was afraid that one day her "owner" would beat her to death if she continued to be disobedient. Yet there was nothing she could do about it; if she attacked him in any way, he would beat her. If she tried to run away, Tuck might track her down eventually and she would be lead back to more of Lewis's beatings. And she didn't want to think about what would happen if she was caught sneaking into the bandits' food supplies or whatever else might be considered "misbehaving."_

_Although Grace couldn't see it, she thought she felt little drops of blood ooze slowly from a few cuts by the time the whip reached twenty-five. She winced in pain some more and gritted her teeth at the twenty-sixth hit, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, and finally thirty. The thirtieth hit caused her to finally let out a cry of agony unable to take it any longer. Lewis watched with satisfaction from seeing her do this believing that this lesson has taught her enough._

_When Grace laid there with her head still on the ground, Lewis curled up the rawhide whip around his right hand and spoke fiendishly. "I told yah before bovine; no troublemaker such as yourself ever gets off the hook without being punished. My feet could a been broken in two cause o' your recklessness. Then how else would I be willin' to raise yah?"_

_Upon hearing that last sentence, Grace felt infuriated like a kettle with steam blowing out. After all the brutality he inflicted on her, Lewis rants about wanting to raise her as if she were some loving family member. No love could ever come out of being beaten severely or being cursed at for no apparent reason. _

_But Lewis went over to Grace and stooped down next to her as he continued. "As long as you are with me, you live by my rules." Then he lifted the calf's chin to meet his gaze. Grace gasped when she saw his expression of wickedness. "If ya ever attack me like that again or run away, your reward will be fifty lashes upon your hide; enough to break ya in two. Don't ever forget that!" he warned as he tightened on the halter. Grace could do nothing but moan softly in his grip. Then he pushed her head back on the ground and took his hand away to rise up. "And just for that, you'll be havin' no supper tonight; not even a scrap. In fact, there will no food or water for the next three days. I offered yah my word o' leftovers and yet this is how you've repaid me. And don't let me catchin' ya sneakin' through our food supplies or I may give ya fifty. Now get up!"_

_Giving her a light kick in the ribs, Grace was able to sit up despite the soreness all over her back. She turned her tear-streaked face from Lewis and gulped, feeling a lump in her throat. Lewis undid the knot on the lead and forced Grace to walk back with him to the campfire where the Yeller Gang was now preparing a serving of their evening meal. Grace limped along feeling the cuts on her back burn like fire. She had been shocked to hear Lewis's threat of fifty lashes and could only keep on moving before he changed his mind._

"_So what are we havin' tonight gentlemen?" Lewis called as he tethered the lead to a strong mulberry bush. _

"_Elk meat on a stick!" answered Sam who was hanging a couple strips of meat over a stick to dry. "All well cooked!" he held a piece off the meat up with a silver fork. Lewis licked his mouth in anticipation of the fresh meat. He had never tasted elk before, but it sure seemed tender and juicy. Leaving Grace by herself, he walked over to the campfire to join them. _

_Grace sank her trembling body on the soft grass and stared miserably at the mulberry bush she had been tied to. If Lewis thinks he can keep her from eating or drinking anything around this area, he better think again. There is a mound of grass lying beneath for her to graze on. And there are pickets of sweet berries on the bush. He couldn't stop her from snacking on those. Or could he? Maybe he only meant that he was not going to be giving her the food they were eating right now. She had no interest in that kind of meal anyway because of its unsatisfying smell. But she did not want to risk taking a bite out of the grass or berries if Lewis might somehow catch her and give her more lashes for being disobedient during her punishment of no food or water for three days. It was probably safer for her to snack while they were sleeping. That's what she will do; wait till they're all asleep._

_While the group laughed and joked as they ate the few remaining scraps from their plates, Grace flinched from the fiery pain on her back while turning to lie on her left side. Her back had been turned to the campfire. She would not allow herself to let her feelings show to those ruthless desperados. She hated to hear them sound happy while she was laying here feeling miserable, weak, and sullen. It was hard for Grace to get her mind off of what happened to her recently because of the blood she felt oozing and staining her beautiful blond hide across her back and neck. Just what she needed, more cuts from the whip. What did she do to deserve this cruel treatment?_

"_So how long did yah have the calf?" Sam asked after chewing down a piece of the elk meat with the fork._

"_Oh about two months," Lewis answered lowly before biting on a big flaky yellow biscuit. "At first I thought I'd raise her to be a hard worker for pullin' a wagon of supplies to town, but she was awfully feisty and rebellious for some strange reason; even for a calf. So I had no other choice but to discipline her." Then he gulped from a liquor bottle to wash down the food._

"_Well she don't seem to be rebellious now," Gene eyed Grace with a furrowed brow. "You sure have a way of dealin' with untamed livestock."_

"_It does the only way to make'em behave," Lewis looked over at Grace smiling ironically. He had often succeeded in dealing with her behavior the hard way. It was enough to make her afraid of rebelling against him._

"_So what you plan to do with her now?"_

"_Well I still plan to train her to be a hard worker, so that she'll be useful for carrying most of our supplies," Lewis laughed. "tired o' havin' to see her doin' nothin' but sleep." Setting the plate down, he continued. "Then if she is no use anymore, she'll be cooked into sizzlin' steak!" he laughed some more._

_Grace's eyes widened in horror; not only will she be forced to work, but she'll end up as the main course over a campfire if she refuses to obey or is too weak to carry on. The crows weren't lying about it after all. How on earth would she get through with this? If only the lawmen would find and save her in time before it's too late. Grace buried her face in the grass underneath and felt the tears slide from her eyes. Her courage and hope of ever being found sank low. She and the bandits were far away from town and the chances of escape from them are now out of the question. The lawman may forever be trying to track them down and never catch up to them. Grace wondered if her friend Sampson deeply misses her without knowing what is about to happen. All of these thoughts were too much for Grace to hold in her feelings any longer as she was now sobbing beneath the grass. How can she eat or sleep when her heart was aching so badly? _

"_Maybe I do deserve all this?" Grace whispered miserably. "Maybe I'm nothin' more than a disobedient calf. But I just can't…" Once more she broke off sobbing in heartbreak. Hot tears continued to leak down her cheeks, overwhelmed by her feelings of hopelessness and sorrow. Grace stopped sobbing when she remembered what Sampson told her the last time she was feeling this way. He was trying to tell her that no matter how hopeless things may seem, she must never give up on finding her way out of it. Even if Sampson wasn't here, Grace knew that's what he would be telling her right now. Turning her tear-stained face to the star covered sky; she whispered "If you're out there Sampson, please hurry." Then she cried herself to sleep._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"_They what?" Sheriff Ned Jones shouted in bewilderment from having to hear the news about the outlaws' escape from this town after the leader had his identity revealed. _

"_The bandits got away," answered the shortest lawman uneasily. "We thought we had'em, but then they opened fire on all of us. They're cleverer than we thought they be."_

"_Did one o' those goons carry a calf with them?" Ned asked with his left hand on the desk._

"_Why yes, as a matter o' fact they did," answered the tallest man. He had suffered only a few minor injuries on his head from being thrown by Scar Face Sam. Ned had learned that the gang leader had been a trouble maker in this town long before joining a group of other bandits to be called the Yeller Gang. No one knew the reason, but there was no time to ask about that. "I caught one o' them rascals walkin' down the street with a gold calf. When I questioned him about it, he says the poor thing was out wanderin' in the desert while chased by hungry coyotes."_

"_Was that all he said about her?" the sheriff asked with a hard edge in his voice. He was intent on finding the outlaws in time before there would be more innocent lives at stake._

"_Then he showed me a couple o' scars on her back sayin' they were made from the claws of coyotes," he maintained thoughtfully with his arms folded. "But each one was in different directions. I mean claw marks are usually lined up together are they not? Looked more like cuts from a whip or somethin' if you know what I mean."_

"_That's the one!" Ned blurted. "That's the same calf I rescued from his house. What else was I to do; leave her there? The poor thing was found sufferin' from both lack o' nutrition and physical abuse. Did he show any aggression toward her in a way?"_

"_Well when I saw her stomp on his feet, he began cursin' and yellin' for her like some sort of wild grizzly. I was outraged that anyone would talk like that to a baby animal."_

"_Let me tell ya'll what else I know about him," began Ned, rising from the chair he had been sittin' on. "Not only is that rascal in cahoots with the gang, but he is a good-for-nothing drunkard who beats on poor helpless critters just like he had been mistreatin' that sweet calf who is out there waitin' to be rescued." The men stood there silent for a moment, and then one of them stepped up._

"_Well then if that is what he is, then let's all go out and find those crooks." Every man had shouted in agreement until another one of them spoke up as if objecting to the idea of following._

"_But we don't know where they are. They might be in Pueblo, Denver, across the Rocky Mountains for all we know."_

_Once again the room fell silent suddenly remembering that none of them had a single clue as to where the bandits may strike next. Then the men stared at each other helplessly._

"_Not to worry gentlemen," Ned spoke eagerly. "My dog here can track down any criminal with his scent without ever losin' it." Dan stood next to Ned as if he were awaiting an order. None of the men noticed Sampson clinging onto Dan while hiding under his left ear. He had been feeling anxious to find Grace as soon as possible. He often wondered if she was now feeling lonely without him there to comfort her. "He's even helped me track down what was hidin' in that rascal's house." He finished, trying not to sound boastful. _

"_Well what are we all standin' round here for when we should be out searchin' for them bandits?" The men ran outside in delight and mounted their horses. "Let's go!"**

* * *

**_

Meanwhile at the plateau region

_A short while after the bandits had gone to sleep; Grace quietly chewed on the grass beneath her thinking about what would happen within the next few days or more with her still as a hostage. Although her stomach had been raw with hunger, she was feeling too upset to eat fast and her taste buds seemed to have faded a bit. The berries in the mulberry bush were ripe and juicy enough to send a refreshing energy throughout her weakened body, but not entirely. She hadn't known that sometimes an injured body needs as much time to heal fully before it can move on. The cuts on her back still burnt painfully which caused her to moan helplessly. Those stings she had been given by Lewis were a cruel way for him to explain who the boss was while she was the victim under his grasp. Grace wished she could step in the water and wash away the pain._

"_There has to be a way out somehow," she whispered while chewing. Somehow or other, there had to be a way passed the bandits and their guard dog. But then where would she escape to? "All I want is to be away from him." There was one thing for sure; she did not want to allow herself to become dinner sooner or later to her captors. No; she wanted to experience the happiness and freedom she had been dreaming of. Whether it's out of the question or not, Grace had to figure out a plan of escape or else she would be taken further and further away with no hope of being found. Even if she was in the outside atmosphere, Grace felt that as long as Lewis had her, she would remain locked up inside still yearning for freedom._

_But now she stopped eating and sat in somber silence with her heart aching in sorrow. Tears were welling up in her eyes when she thought about how Lewis would try and force her to work. He might curse at Grace if she limped behind or made a mistake such as dropping an item and losing it over the edge of a cliff. Worse, he could give her a worse punishment crueler than the whippings. Her silent tears had turned to sobs as she threw her head down on the grass. It was so hard for her to sleep in this situation where all seemed lost. Grace went on crying for the better part of the night choking down the last remaining sobs. She couldn't possibly make it through alone. Or could she? The calf was confused as ever. The tears streamed faster like leaks from water can._

"_Why hello there darlin'," a soft gentle voice spoke to Grace somewhere interrupting her depth of thought. She turned her head back and forth to find where that voice came from. "I'm right below you," the voice replied. Grace turned her eyes to the ground to find a tiny bird painted in blue all over its body. The beak was small and yellow. A reddish color flowed over its chest._

"_Who are you?" Grace asked the bird unsteadily._

"_I'm Honey," the bluebird introduced herself to her. "And you are…?"_

"_Grace," was all she could say as she turned her head away in shame. Sampson once taught her that she should always introduce herself to friendly critters if she ever wanted to be a friend. She didn't mean to be rude, but she hardly felt like talking and preferred to be alone. Grace had always felt ashamed to show her feelings in front of others. From the looks of her appearance, the bluebird could sense that something was deeply troubling this young calf due to her silent treatment and her sorrowful eyes._

"_Tell me darlin', why are yah cryin'?" Honey strutted over to the calf's face to find that she had burst into tears. _

"_Well I….I…," Grace was at a loss for words. So much has happened that she didn't know where to begin. "…I…lost my friend." Just mentioning about Sampson made her sob almost hysterically. Honey placed her wings over Grace's mouth hoping to hush and calm her down. She didn't want the calf crying loud enough to wake up the bandits who were still asleep in their bags. One of them had already stirred but remained still on the ground._

"_Hush now, please calm down," Honey spoke gently whilst struggling with keeping her mouth closed. "If you're gonna cry; do it softly now." _

_After a short while, Grace was all cried out. She had no more tears or sobs; nothing but a dry lump in her throat that hurt whenever she swallowed._

"_There, there now," Honey leaned against her face stroking it gently. The bluebird suspected that those men asleep had something to do with this calf's pain. If only there was an easier way to ask Grace to explain all about it without her breaking into more tears. Perhaps the poor dear needed a little more time to let her grief out._

_Grace was able to quiet down miraculously. The way Honey had been comforting her reminded her of when Sampson once tried to calm her down during the time that she had been crying for her mother. He warned her that if she cried any louder, Lewis might barge in and beat her with a cane or belt (which he sometimes did). Perhaps Grace had made a new friend at this moment. _

"_Now listen up sugar pie," Honey whispered in her ear while rubbing her face gently. "Whatever else is wrong, you don't need to tell me now. But tonight there should be no more tears." Then Grace watched as Honey fluttered off the ground and into the air. "Wait here while I go fetch a cloth from my nest to take care o' them bruises on your back there." _

_The bluebird sped through a few trees. In a matter of seconds, she came flying back holding a blue cloth with her feet and dipped it in the flowing river. Soon Grace was lying on her stomach feeling the cold washcloth being applied over the cuts on her back. It was a relief to have the stings washed away as Honey did her best to clean each one before an infection spread._

"_I don't know what happened here, but I'm guessin' that one o' them men has not been treatin' you fairly is that it?" Honey asked as she scrubbed between Grace's shoulders and neck area._

"_Yes," Grace responded, holding still._

"_I thought so," replied Honey firmly. "Now listen, I'll be watchin' over you to see how you're doin' so far. I'll be here tomorrow for you to tell me everything. But for now, these cuts will be needin' some time to heal properly. And those berries will give you enough energy to recover." Then she flew up into the air with the cloth. "Get some rest now, and no more tears." Honey disappeared behind the trees._

"_Thank you," Grace whispered softly. Just like Honey said, Grace went right to sleep without crying her heart out. But whenever she felt the need to cry, Grace would have a new friend by her side. And maybe Sampson would like to meet her._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_Grace woke up groggily the next morning an hour before the bandits had awakened. The sun rose halfway behind the mountains casting bright yellowish colors in the sky. The mulberry bush she had been tied to was standing luckily next to the flowing river which would make it possible for her to reach for a drink. Yawning, Grace sat up and stared over at the put out campfire where the bandits still slept, including Lewis. Despite her punishment of no food or water for three days, Grace walked cautiously to the river feeling confident that the bandits would not be waking up till much later. As much as she feared being punished severely for whatever reason, her mouth and body would have been dehydrated all afternoon in the warm weather if she didn't get a sip. All she had to do was eat and drink while no one was watching._

_But who was that bluebird from last night? Grace thought curiously while still sipping up a few more drops. She said that her name was Honey and she helped clean those whip strokes on her back to clear away the stinging pain. Would she be back soon or had she been forgotten? Distracted by those questions ringing in her mind, she failed to hear someone groaning by the campfire until it was too late._

_Grace stopped drinking and looked over her shoulder to find that one of the bandits was close to awakening because of the way he was raising slowly. Thinking fast, Grace sprinted from the river and went back to the same spot where she slept and tried to pretend that she was still asleep. Just in time._

"_Dang sun," she heard him moan. "Hurtin' my eyes." He rubbed his eyes for several minutes to gain his vision. To him, it still felt too early to get up and start making breakfast. But if he went back to sleep now, some of that good food in the traveling bag might have been wasted. "Well might as well start fixin' breakfast," he yawned as he moved out of his sleeping bag. Digging through the bags, he took out a few sourdough biscuits, coffee bags, and dry strips of bacon. "Now this is what I call a mornin' meal."_

_Grace who was still feeling groggy from the lack of sleep could hear the man turn on the fire and the sizzling of something cooking in the frying pan. Right now she could smell it all the way from where she sat as the calf was now drifting off into slumber. _

_In her dream, Grace had been running for her life out in the woods whilst being hunted down by Tuck. The situation was similar to a game of cat and mouse, yet he was the predator and she became the prey. She could barely keep her feet on the ground as Tuck's heavy breathing could be heard far away. Through the trees, she saw a clearing and darted toward it as fast as she could. But soon Grace skidded to a halt when she realized that she had been close to falling off the edge of a cliff. Although there was nothing dangerous in the river, the currents appeared more deep and powerful enough to lead her to a dangerous area such as a whirlpool or a waterfall. With Tuck's barking growing closer, she thought fast and did the only thing possible. She had jumped off the edge barely missing Tuck jumping at her._

_SPLASH! Grace awoke panting nervously. The bandits were already wide awake and eating breakfast. She couldn't remember how long she dozed off. Grace saw Tuck sitting by a boulder chewing on a meatless bone. When he set his eyes on her, Grace turned her gaze to the other side. Shrugging, he could only go back to gnawing. He was in no mood to be dealing with her._

_It was scary for Grace to think about the dream of her being chased by a Doberman who thinks only about pleasing his masters through stealing and hunting without any guilt. The thought of jumping in the river would have been a foolish choice. She'd be swept away or drowned. And Grace did not want to think about what would happen if the lawmen found her dead. Her small friend's heart would surely break if that were possible._

"_I'm a bit surprised that deputy had discovered my identity," Sam said hesitantly. "And I was certain folks would've forgotten about me then and instead turn their attention to the Yeller Gang."_

"_Old memories seldom fade I tell ya," replied Hickory while drinking coffee in a silver cup. "And it takes a real keen eye to catch an old crook."_

"_Humph, lawmen don't know when to mind their own business if ya ask me," added Tom. "What if they're still on our trail and its over with?"_

"_Enough already!" Sam blurted out. The bandits were taken aback. "It's bad enough havin' your cover blown and I don't wanna hear about how they might catch up to us. Is that clear?"_

"_Sure thing boss," the group responded altogether._

"_Good, besides we're miles away from town and this whole forest area might as well be our new hideout for quite some time. Why would the lawmen wanna waste their precious time searchin' the entire state? It would take weeks for them to reach this place; maybe even months or years. Until then, we are safe."_

_Overhearing his comment, Grace rested her head on the grass beneath trying to ignore everything he said. She simply did not want to believe that the lawmen would never find her. She had to be strong.**

* * *

**_

Meanwhile, out in the canyon area

"_What is it boy?" Sheriff Jones followed to where Dan was barking at a thorn-studded hedgehog cactus. The bloodhound had pulled out a sort of green paper material with his teeth and handed it to Ned for him to examine. "Money eh; who says money don't grow on trees? Good boy Dan, now we're gettin' somewhere."_

"_Find anything?" a deputy called out to Ned from behind a jagged rock._

"_Yep, it seems those ruffians have left behind a few dollars," answered Ned eyeing the dollar. He made a disgusted look after sniffing to realize that it had been smoldered in cigarette ash. "Ugh, and it sure smells bad." Dan made the same look as his nose caught the unpleasant scent. It made them both feel as if they had tasted something foul._

"_Let me see that," Ned handed him the dollar. "Ugh, what in carnation have these hooligans been smokin'?" He pinched his nose with two fingers while waving the dollar like a handkerchief._

"_If I didn't know any better, I'd say the stolen money had been stashed inside a sack filled with tobacco ash," Ned sat up from the cactus and scratched his bearded chin. "I don't care that much about the smell, this means that we must be on the right track." Ned found two more tobacco-scented dollars under the cactus and placed them in a bag where nobody could smell them. The deputy handed him the other one._

"_Let's keep searchin' for more clues."**

* * *

**_

At the plateau area

_That afternoon, Grace was feeling wide awake and refreshed with the sun high overhead. But the reason for this was because she had been able to sneak a few ripe berries for herself while the bandits were not looking her way. They had been too busy all morning discussing more of their plans to pay the least amount of attention to her. Even Lewis would not glare at her since he thought that he had her under his control for the rest of this journey. And Tuck had been gnawing at the bone with his sharp teeth._

_Grace was not bothered by this one bit. It felt good to be free of their bullying, and snide remarks for now. Today was the first day for her being denied of any food or water, but did Lewis obviously think he could stop her from grazing and snacking on berries? Maybe, but for a violent drunkard, he sure was pretty stupid in many ways._

_Then she cringed from a slight ache between her shoulder blades. The cuts from the whippings had not yet healed completely. And Honey told her last night that they needed time to heal. But where was she?_

"_I wonder if Honey still knows I'm here," Grace whispered thoughtfully. "She was kind enough to take care of me." She glanced behind her left shoulder to see if she could get a better look of those whip strokes across her back. But because Grace could not turn her head all the way, it was difficult to tell how badly her bruises had become. All she could see was the side of her ribs. She sighed, knowing it was probably best if she didn't see them. "These berries are delicious." Grace picked out a few more berries for herself when she thought the bandits still had their backs turned. The juicy, sour flavor melted in her mouth. _

"_Ya know, if we are to keep on survivin' out here, we'll be needin' all the food to last for more than a week," Grace overheard Sam talking to his men. "Which one of us wants to go out and pick some berries?"_

"_What are you kiddin'? That's women's work," Gene argued as he was polishing his guns._

"_I'll do it," Lewis suggested, knowing that he had learned a few kitchen skills a while back. "I've lived on the farm long enough." He sat up. "I'll take my calf with me."_

_Hearing what he said, Grace's jaw dropped. Panicking, she swallowed down the last bits of the berries and wiped the juicy stain off her mouth. She hoped Lewis wouldn't catch her nibbling when she was not supposed to._

"_Come on you," Lewis ordered darkly as he undid the knot around the mulberry bush. "We have work to do." Tugging on the lead, Grace sat up and followed him.**

* * *

**_

In the forest

_Lewis led Grace further until they came across a thicket of blueberry bushes. These looked like a real appetizer. But she would not be allowed to bite a single one with Lewis holding on to her. Late summer was the one time of year for berries to grow; but Grace did not yet know anything about seasonal changes. _

"_Don't move now," Lewis spoke to Grace as he set down a bag which would soon be filled with berries. Grace watched as he plucked the darkest and fattest kind. Her mouth had watered with anticipation. But she feared being caught tasting one and imagined how Lewis would react to this. So there was nothing more she could do but stand still patiently._

"_Psst, Grace in here," a voice whispered from behind the blueberry bushes. _

"_Who's there?" Grace asked, turning her head around for the voice._

"_In the bushes dear," the voice replied. Grace peered into the blueberry bushes and there was Honey sitting on a tiny branch._

"_Honey!" Grace almost shouted loud enough to attract Lewis's attention. But he still kept picking._

"_Sshh," Honey whispered. Grace blushed when she realized that she almost got herself caught. "I told you that I be back. And I'm glad you're no longer hurtin' inside."_

"_Where have you been?" Grace asked curiously. "Did you see any tall men ridin' on horses somewhere?" Honey shook her head._

"_Sorry sugar pie, I ain't seen nothin' like that lately."_

"_Oh," Grace gave a disappointed sigh._

"_Now don't you lose hope yet," Honey reminded her. "Just because I ain't seen no riders don't mean they're not out there." The bluebird saw Grace smile weakly from hearing her say that. "Would these riders you ask of be considered…lawmen?" The calf nodded. "Then these other men with you are outlaws. And you're bein' held hostage."_

"_How did you know?"_

"_How else would I have known by those cuts and endless cryin'?" Honey replied softly. Then she shrugged herself off when she remembered what to tell Grace. "Now listen closely sugar…" Grace peered deeper to listen, "…I'm afraid I can't see you durin' the daytime, because o' him…" Honey pointed to Lewis still berry-picking. The bag was halfway full by now, "…and that big brute dog is sure to smell me out. But don't you worry cause' I'll still be watchin' over you from where they can't see me. I'll come and meet you tonight right after the men are asleep. I know of a place where we can talk privately without havin' to worry about them hooligans followin' us."_

"_You mean…escape?" Grace felt both hopeful and nervous by asking that._

"_Um, well…not exactly sugar," Honey stuttered. How was she going to explain to Grace that it may be too dangerous to help her escape through these woods and out into the dry prairies? There are many predators known to lurk in those areas and she didn't want to put Grace in any more danger than the one she was already in. "It's more of a secret hideout place. But I'll explain it all tonight."_

"_Ok, I understand," Grace said gladly. Then without warning, Grace grunted when she felt someone grab her by the scruff of her neck and pull her roughly out of the blueberry bush._

"_What did I say about no food or water for three days?" Lewis lectured as he tugged on the lead to move Grace closer to him. With the bag of ripe blueberries completely full, he closed the lid and threw the handle around her neck so that she would be forced to carry it all the way back to camp. "Let's go."_

_Grace obeyed without hesitation. Honey watched her pitifully as Grace was trying hard to keep that bag from slipping off her head. Its weight seemed heavy for her. The bluebird held on to her promise that she would be back for her tonight._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_Later that night, Grace lay beside the mulberry bush unable to sleep. The stars had once again twinkled in the dark blue sky around the shining moon. The bandits had drifted off to sleep an hour after sharing another evening meal of the dry elk meat, beans, biscuits and whisky. In fact, they had eaten so much that it was enough to leave them tired out for the rest of the night. They were drunk. One of them sprawled over across his sleeping bag with his left arm over his mouth and the other hand holding an empty liquor bottle. _

_Lewis slept heavily against a boulder looking like a puppet in a corner. Although he sounded angry at Grace for sticking her head in the blueberry bushes, he had no desire to whip or scold her any further all through the day. Grace had been forced to carry at least one or two bags of berries from one area to another like a horse carrying traveling items. And if Lewis did catch Grace trying to back away or intend to take a bite of a berry, he would threaten to strike at her. To Grace, it felt as if he could read her mind all the way through. Grace worked meekly by being careful not to let the bags slip off her head. Doing so proved to be a little difficult because of the weight. But she was glad that Lewis decided not to whip her today. She had forgotten about Honey (not entirely) while her mind was set on working as hard as she could to avoid any more serious trouble. So far, Lewis believed she was doing well as a working animal without being feisty and rebellious as she always was. And when it would be time for him and his comrades to move out of this area, he would force Grace to carry some of their supplies._

_Now her entire neck ached and was sore from all that heavy carrying. But deep in her heart, she vowed to work twice as hard without complaint or hesitation; whether she liked working or not. Grace knew she must not lose hope of ever being rescued._

"_There you are," the same voice belonging to Honey called out as she landed on the ground next to Grace. "Glad to see that you waited patiently. Ready for me to take you to that special hidin' place I talked to you about?" Grace felt relieved to find that her tiny new friend came back after all. She had almost forgotten about Honey entirely. But then her smile faded as she also remembered something else._

"_If only I could," Grace responded with a sad expression._

"_What's wrong sugar?" asked Honey with concern. Grace showed her the halter around her head._

"_I can't take this thing off me."_

"_Oh, well hold still now," Honey hopped up on her head and placed her wings underneath the leather to pull. Grace guessed that she was attempting to remove the halter from her head. But it was secured real tightly. When that failed, Honey looked at the latch and was able to unbuckle it. Grace had been free of the painful halter._

"_Yippee, I'm free!" Grace jumped for joy thankful to have that horrid material removed from her face. She tossed her head and danced about until Honey flew on top of her snout to close her mouth._

"_Quiet now," she whispered softly in an urgent tone. "We ain't outta camp yet, and if you still wanna sneak away, we have to be quiet now or else they'll wake up." Grace stared directly at the sleeping bandits and understood what Honey was trying to warn her about. What Honey didn't know was that the bandits were too drunk to be awakened by her prancing. The alcoholic effect would wear off them by morning or afternoon tomorrow._

"_I'm sorry," Grace blushed a moment after Honey flew off her mouth._

"_It's alright sugar," Honey reassured her with a smile, "Just remember, keep quiet and follow me." Grace said no more as she followed Honey deep into the quiet woods.**

* * *

**_

In the forest

_Honey had beckoned for Grace to keep following through the woods and past the same blueberry bushes where Lewis made her carry those heavy bags. It felt strange and creepy for her to be wandering out in the woods at night. But she was also feeling happy and free from not being restrained in a tight halter. Still, she had to be quiet and cautious so that hopefully none of the bandits would wake up and notice that she was missing. And because Honey had been kind enough to take pity on her, Grace trusted her to lead the way since she must have known what she was doing._

"_We're almost there now sugar," Honey responded, fluttering above her. It had been five minutes when the bluebird led Grace through a few more trees to hear the sound of what may have been a waterfall. "In here," Honey flew through the lush ferns and up a short hill. Having enough strength to climb to the top, Grace found that Honey had taken her to a beautiful clear river area with a small waterfall. "This is it."_

"_What is this place?" asked Grace, still staring in awe. Under the bright starry sky, the river was cast an enchanting reflection. The area had been filled with more trees and blueberry bushes. Grace was now feeling both thirsty and hungry._

"_We forest critters call this here place Silent Creek," replied Honey. "It's where most of us would come here just to have a little quiet time or to have a private chat; which is why I wanted to bring you here." Grace followed Honey toward the river. "Have you ever taken a bath before?"_

"_A bath?" Grace looked down at Honey in puzzlement. The only thing she knew about cleaning was when her tiny mouse companion used a wet cloth over the painful bruises from whenever she had been abused. Lewis had never given her a bath, but he sometimes threw pails of water over to give her an unpleasant wake-up call. She shook her head in response to Honey's question. "I don't think I have."_

"_Well step into the river and I'll show you how it's done," she pointed to the river. "Don't worry it ain't too deep."_

_Grace cautiously stuck her front foot in the water, sensing that it may be cold. At first, Grace had shivered, but it wasn't too hard for her to take a couple more steps until the water was up to her chest. The coolness made her feel calm and healthy. And it made more of that stinging pain on her back decrease. Being a little distracted by the coolness, Grace did not notice Honey come flying behind her with the same blue cloth until she felt it being applied between her shoulders._

"_Hold still while I rub between these shoulders," Honey said softly as she dipped the cloth into the river and soothed the cuts sprawled across the calf's back. There had been a few areas where dry blood had stained the hide. "Everyone must have a bath not only to stay clean, but to feel strong and healthy." Grace could now feel the wet cloth moistened over and around her neck; somehow or other, it felt good to be cleansed all over. "So tell me Grace, how long have these dirty rascals had you under their control?" feeling her relaxation slip from her mind, Grace perked her head up from hearing her mention about the bandits holding her against her will. _

"_Well, I haven't always been stuck with them like I am now," Grace sighed, feeling that this would be a little difficult to explain. "It's Lewis that I have been stuck with from the start." For a moment, Grace was silent. She didn't care to talk about him or his cruel standards._

"_Just tell me what you know," Honey urged her to go on as she climbed upward on Grace's head._

"_He's the one that did this to me," Grace responded almost on the verge of crying. As Honey scrubbed behind her ears and the side of her face, she listened as Grace struggled to explain how Lewis would punish her cruelly whenever she got in some sort of trouble such as running away, refusing to eat the awful slop, or just simply beat her for no reason at all. He always called her "bovine" or "mangy vermin," and never by her real name. During those times, Grace had been locked inside an isolated shack where she had not been allowed to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Her only friend had been Sampson who was always there to sneak in some food or comfort her whenever she was feeling down. And sometimes he taught her a few lessons of right and wrong. But despite that, Grace would often feel lonely deep inside when she had missed her mother or had not been allowed to make more friends because of her being locked up all the time. This discussion of her lonely life made tears well up in her eyes._

"_I know how hard it is to be dealin' with nasty folks like him," Honey said lowly. "This may be a little hard for me to explain, but I'll say it anyway. No matter how hard one o' them beats, starves, or jeers at you, never believe a single word they say. Because that's how they bring you down. And if you let all those hurtful feelings inside take over, you may never be happy at all."_

"_Really?" Grace sniffled with a tear running down her snout. "Do you mean it?"_

"_Sure, everyone gets angry, scared, or sad sometimes. It's alright because that's normal; but as long as you don't give in to them, there is also a time for joy and happiness. You do understand what I'm sayin' do you?"_

"_I think so," Grace replied. Even if she didn't understand fully, she did know that she was not going to give up hope too soon. "That's what Sampson would say to me. But is there no escape out of this forest?"_

"_It ain't that simple sugar," with a sad sigh, Honey went on. "Even though this part of the forest is beautiful and quiet, there are also many dangers on the outside. Out there are ravagin' coyotes, wild grizzlies, and maybe even giant cats. What these predators have in common is that they enjoy the taste of meat, like you and me." Grace felt a shiver run down her spine. She did not want to come in close contact with those animals if she were to meet one. "I'm not sayin' this to scare you; I'm tellin' you this for your safety. I'm worried that if I try and help you escape, you'll be hurt or possibly hunted by predators." Grace lowered her head sadly; but Honey wasn't finished. "But as long as we stay here in this upper part of the forest, then we're safe. Most predators don't appreciate the idea of climbing all the way to the top. And I wouldn't think o' climbin' down to meet one."_

_Feeling that Honey was right, Grace then realized that the only option out of this mess is for her to be rescued by the lawmen, wherever they were. Of course, Honey told her that she would need to be patient and try not to disobey her master whenever she would be forced to work. Patience is the key to a long journey toward freedom. Grace didn't understand, but she would do as Honey suggested, even if she hated Lewis, along with doing the heavy work._

"_I know it ain't easy, but that's the only advice I know," she couldn't blame Grace for wanting to be rescued right away. The poor dear must have been suffering through a lot because of that poisonous vermin who had mistreated her unkindly. It might even take time for her to recover from those terrible feelings. "You'll understand in time." Honey finished with scrubbing behind her ears and flew in front of Grace. "Now that you're clean, it's time for us to have fun."_

"_But how do we…?" before Grace could ask, she watched Honey lift her wings and make a swan dive into the river. "Honey, where did you go?" astonished, she gazed into the same spot where the bluebird dove through._

"_BOO!" _

_Grace gasped a moment before her back left leg slipped on a rock below the river and she went under. Her head popped out of the surface and she stared at Honey to find her swimming on her back in circles._

"_Gotcha didn't I?" she called as her legs were kicking the water._

_At first Grace frowned, but then a smile drew across her face as she carefully hid her face below without Honey noticing. Honey didn't realize anything different until she felt her legs kicking at nothing but air._

"_Whoa what am I doin' way up…" the bluebird stared down at Grace dumbfounded, "…here?" Grace snuck up on Honey to pick her up by the top of her head from under water. And with Grace already snickering, it worked. "Why you little sneak," Honey joked playfully with a surprising grin and dove back inside the river._

_All through that time, the two friends delighted in wading and splashing each other into the quiet place at the river bend. Grace remembered when Sampson taught her about singing and dancing while they were staying at the sheriff's home. Not only did that make her feel happy, but it also made her forget about those bad feelings that were putting her down. Grace was having so much fun at this moment that she forgot about feeling sad and lonely. Soon the two were growing tiresome from all that playing._

"_Alright I think we had enough; don't you agree?" Honey asked as she squeezed bits of water from her damp head._

"_But what could be more fun than splashing?"_

"_The sun could be up any minute now sugar," Honey maintained advisedly. "And you don't want those rascals to notice that you're missin' don't you?"_

_Grace had gasped upon hearing that and her stomach twisted into a knot. She had forgotten that she had left the campfire place while the bandits were asleep. Any longer and she'd be in big trouble. Right now, the sky looked a little purple. With no point in arguing or objecting, Grace allowed Honey to lead her out of Silent Creek and through the same path they crossed in the forest. As she followed, Grace did not feel joyful in returning to a prison camp from which Honey helped her escape, but she was glad to have felt more alive and hopeful by having a great time at the river bend. It was a taste of freedom._

_When the two reached camp, it was a relief for them to find that the bandits were still asleep. Honey regretfully had to place the halter back on Grace, but she promised to watch over and be back again the next night. Waving goodbye, Grace went to sleep._


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_Several hours after the first light, Grace woke up feeling wide awake. Rubbing her eyes, she noticed that the bandits had not yet woken up from their slumber. Usually, one of them was up earlier cooking breakfast. But this time, they were knocked out, including Lewis. Only Tuck was missing from the camp. Where could he have gone?_

"_I hope that dirty dog isn't out hurtin' other poor critters," Grace muttered, walking toward the river, "Someone should teach him some respect." She lowered her head to have a sip of cold water. As she drank, Grace wondered how far away she must have been and how much longer the bandits would be staying here in this forest where it is too risky down below for her to make an escape. "I might not be able to escape, but at least I'm safe up here."_

"_Grace!"_

"_Huh!" Grace was startled. Did one of the bandits wake up and catch her near the river? She whirled around and in relief, nearly smacked herself when it was only Honey fluttering behind her holding a filled blue bag with her feet. How foolish it was to think that those vermin would call her by her real name (which they never did)._

"_Honey, what are you doin' here?" she asked surprisingly. Before answering, Honey dropped the cloth on the ground and unwrapped it to reveal acorns and ripe blueberries. Grace was being served breakfast and her stomach rumbled with hunger. Having never tasted acorns before, she decided to give it a try. Not as sweet as the berries, but still pretty good._

"_I know I said I'd be back by night, but when some friends o' mine told me about a group of intoxicated vermin, I thought I check up and see if you're alright." Honey wiped her forehead, "See all those empty wine bottles?"_

_Grace turned her head to the camp and gazed long enough to notice a few of the bottles sprawled about in different places. One of them was only half-empty with a few drops dripping on the ground next to Lewis. With his mouth open, he seemed deader than asleep._

"_You know, a lot of us heard rumors about what happens to folks who drink too much o' that beverage they call beer, liquor, or wine. They either wind up dead or pass out for many long hours. I didn't even notice that when I came last night at the time you were cheering."_

"_I think Lewis had one of those before. Every time he drank outta this strange glass tube, I had been given a slap or a hit with this other thing called a belt," Grace stared at the ground sorrowfully, feeling uncomfortable with talking about her harsh life._

"_Don't let bad memories get you down sugar," Honey moved closer to rub her left leg slowly in comfort, "I know how you feel, but remember, you always got me to turn to. And I'm sure your other little friend is with the same lawmen searchin' for you. I bet he misses you as well."_

"_I hope so," Grace murmured weakly._

_Honey watched as Grace ate the berries that she had been given. Since Honey knew that cows were herbivores, green grass, hay, and other plants was a great thing for them to snack on. Fruits such as apples, and berries were a special treat. Right now Grace kept eating as if she hadn't eaten for many weeks._

"_I love those nuts and berries," Grace said when she had finished and had wiped the berry juice from her mouth. "There's somethin' else I wanted to ask you. Do you think you can ask your other friends to keep a lookout for riders on horses? I mean so that I'll know when they're comin' or not."_

"_Sure thing Grace; that's no problem at all," replied Honey. "After all, friends are supposed to always help each other. And I asked them to keep an eye out for that big brute dog to let us know if he's comin' this way."_

"_I don't like him," Grace said uneasily, "he's mean and he wants to eat me."_

"_Nobody's gonna eat you now sugar. Whatever else he said, I'm sure he was just tryin' to scare you. That's what most big bullies do to younger ones such as you. They're the ones who are weak and cowardly. You may still be young right now, but someday when you're older, folks like him and those drunkards will be the ones beggin' for mercy."_

"_But how will I know?"_

"_You'll know when the time comes."_

_That was another piece of advice that Grace did not yet understand, but in time she would. Honey sat down on the ground to listen as Grace talked more about her troubles with Lewis and why she longed to be in a more caring environment. There was still no escape for her out of this place unless she was a rider on a horse. The bandits' horses could be heard snorting a few feet away grazing on plants. They obeyed no one but their masters. So riding on one of them was probably not a bright idea._

"_Have you been drinkin' enough milk at all lately?" Honey asked with concern when she noticed how Grace was rubbing at the side of her face and the way her other leg wobbled. The calf shook her head weakly._

"_Well, there is someone in these woods who might be able to help. She's no cow, but she's all there is," Honey flew up to unbuckle the halter and encouraged Grace to follow her to Silent Creek. There was no need to worry about the intoxicated cowpokes since they would not be awakened easily for another few hours.**

* * *

**_

Somewhere in the desert

_It had been many long hours since Sheriff Jones found those tobacco scented dollars as their only pieces of evidence. The hours seemed more like traveling and tracking the outlaws for weeks with no sign of those varmints anywhere. Some of the men argued that they should just quit and go back to town while others said that there would not be enough time to go back if they wanted to. Ned was able to settle the disagreements by shouting out that if they are to track down the outlaws; they'd have to work at it together or else there would be more lives at stake. Right now the lawmen were riding by the same painted symbols on the canyon walls in which the Yeller Gang had passed under its shadows. There had not been signs of Indians around them._

_With Dan still leading the way with his tracking scent, he failed to notice the guilty frown on Sampson's whiskered face. He had barely spoken a word or bothered to ask questions throughout this manhunt expedition._

"_This is my entire fault," Sampson spoke lowly while riding atop Dan. Somehow he couldn't help but feel responsible for his friend's pain and capture._

"_What do you mean your fault?" Dan looked over his shoulder with his brow furrowed. "Why'd you say that?"_

"_If I hadn't lead Grace to that campfire out in the dry lands, the crooks wouldn't have beaten her and Lewis wouldn't have dragged her back for more. If I could've been bigger I'd take care o' them, but I'm only a small mouse and you are a dog. I'm the cause of her heartache. Perhaps you might've been a better and protective friend to her than I was."_

"_Now hold on a minute," Dan spoke firmly like a commanding deputy as he stopped short on the trail. "What does being so small have to do with all this?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_I mean who is responsible for your friend's wounds?"_

_Sampson was silent for a moment, then he answered. "Lewis?"_

"_And who locked her up inside that place from the outside world?"_

"_Lewis?"_

"_And who was the one who force fed and mistreated her unkindly?"_

"_Lewis!" Sampson's guilt slipped away as he perked his head up to stare straight ahead._

"_And who stayed by your friend's side to comfort and do his best to take care o her more kindly when she needed it?"_

"_Me o' course!" Sampson spoke with encouragement in his voice._

"_That's right, you're not the cause of her pain, he is. And so are those crooks. And it don't matter whether or not you tried to help her escape, he might've planned to punish her with that whip for some other reason eventually. Sure you led her to the outlaws' campfire, but that's not the point I'm tryin' to make. If you didn't go in that direction, you might've never known about Lewis bein' in cahoots with them. You'd never inform me and the outlaws would a still gotten away with it. There was nothin' you could've done to help her out there; but without you, your friend might've never been able to trust another human bein' to take care o' her if they tried. Why she'd be livin' with fear for the rest o' her days even. Worse yet, she'd be nothin' more than cooked meat on a dinner plate already."_

_Sampson was shocked to think about that. Big or small, Grace truly needed a friend by her side and Sampson was the only one with her at that time. He remembered how he had missed his own family often, but couldn't find it in his small heart to abandon Grace. How else would she have learned right from wrong without him teaching her? And who else would have been there to sneak in food or encourage her not to give up hope? Right now, she was out there waiting for him to come back and help her._

"_You know, you're right," he said proudly. "I'm glad to have been there for her when she needed me. You're almost startin' to sound like my uncle. What am I feelin' sorry for myself for? Let's keep goin'."_

"_We follow the scent straight ahead," Dan said as his eyes locked on to a small green area which he guessed might be filled with forests. It seemed to be at least twenty or ninety miles further from where they were at. Glad to hear Sampson come to his senses, the lawmen followed behind Dan to lead the way. Now he was running at a fast pace._

"_Dan, where are you goin'?" Ned cried out to his dog. But Dan kept going. "Dan, wait up boy!" He kicked his heels on the horse's ribs to make him run after him._

_The lawmen stared at each other in puzzlement and shrugged their shoulders. Soon their horses were thundering on the trail toward the green plateau area._


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_Out in the midst of Silent Creek, Grace followed Honey to a small cave where an adult mule deer had been tending to her three-day old fawn. The two month old calf felt her mouth water from nervousness. She had no idea how to react to this type of animal she had never set eyes upon. Would it be kind or cruel? So Honey instructed her to wait outside while she informs the mother deer of an orphan calf in need of urgent care._

_Luckily, the mule deer was kind and caring enough to listen as Honey explained to her about the whole situation and Grace was now allowed to enter. When she did, something else had came to her mind when she viewed how the young fawn was lying on the floor next to its mother. She remembered something about this but couldn't quite figure out what it was. There came an image of someone cleaning behind her ears with her long tongue. As far as she knew, it had been a long time since she remembered. Could that have been her mother?_

_Grace took a few slow steps further cautious not to wake up the fawn. The mother deer smiled warmly when she did approach forward. That made her feel less frightened and more welcome into her home._

"_Are you my mother?" she asked quietly. The deer's smile faded halfway. This calf must have mistaken her for a cow. She couldn't blame her for asking that question._

"_I'm sorry, but I'm not," the mother replied sadly, then continued, "But I be willing to spare some milk for you. My name is Orchid. And don't worry about little Juniper here…" she pointed her head to the sleeping fawn, "…she's a heavy sleeper. And there's plenty of milk for her to last all season."_

_Rising upward, Orchid walked over to Grace so that it would be easier for her to feed. This wasn't so hard for Grace to do since she had already found her way and began to suckle. She had been feeling quite refreshed, warm, and cared for with Orchid licking her lovingly behind her behind the ears, nape, and head. Yet another part of Grace felt strange about taking milk meant for this deer's fawn. Still, she kept on suckling as the mother urged her to continue and not to worry about anything else._

_When she had seen the cuts spread all over her hide, she moved her head back to lick them gently and lovingly, wondering if they were hurting Grace. The calf winced from feeling it, but she continued eating. With Honey watching from the outside of the cave, the bluebird wanted desperately to make sure that Grace received as much nutrients as she needed to grow up strong and healthy; even after being rescued, hopefully. Both she and Orchid knew that wounds made from a predators claws or a man's sharp object would take more than loving care to make the pain go away. And some wounds were so deep that they did not heal after a year. In fact, if wounds such as the ones on this calf's back had been cut deeply into the skin, they never healed properly and were left as scars for life._

_Then as Grace was suckling, tears began pouring down her cheeks. She didn't know why she was crying whatsoever. Either she was happy or sad. She was confused from not knowing which one. Maybe she was feeling grateful this deer was taking special care as if she were her own. That was something Grace barely felt often. So far, she had only known friendship from Sampson and Honey. And she had known kindness from Sheriff Ned Jones who had taken her away from Lewis and fed her milk from a bottle. Perhaps she was also crying because she had never known her real mother long enough to experience motherly love like she was now._

_Unable to hold it in any longer, Grace had stopped and collapsed on the ground weeping emotionally. She could barely contain her dignity. What if she were never rescued? And what if Lewis was awakened right now and was prowling the forest searching for her? She had been through too much._

"_There now, it's alright," Orchid whispered softly as she licked the side of the weeping calf's face soothingly to comfort her. _

_For a while now, Grace had been allowed to let her grief out until she was ready to be fed again. She had even let the doe lick her back on areas where it had hurt the most. Whenever Grace had thought of how Lewis had beaten and lectured her with harsh words, it was like a knife in her chest; deeper than the whip strokes. She hated to have felt that._

"_Have some more now, you'll be fine," she urged._

_Grace became quiet now and sat up to suckle once more through the lump in her throat. She'd rather stay here than go back to camp. With Orchid gently licking the poor calf behind her head, Grace felt a tickling sensation and loved every minute of it. The adult she was with was certainly no cow, but she was kind enough to take pity upon her poor condition and let her in. Maybe it didn't matter if Orchid was a cow or a deer. Perhaps it was more about feeling loved and cared for._

_As Honey kept watching, something inside told her that Grace might want to ask if she could stay here for as long as she wants until the lawmen find her. With the calf being tenderly loved, she couldn't possibly lead her back to that awful prison camp now and she knew that Grace was thinking the same thing. And if Grace did beg her, the mother would have no desire to turn her away after all this. She loved her fawn Juniper dearly and would love to have Grace snuggle closely beside her.**

* * *

**_

Later that afternoon

_All through the day, Orchid took care of Grace like she was her own fawn. And she told the calf that she could stay for as long as she wants; delighted to hear her say that, Grace was no longer feeling grief. So what if the men woke up right now and found her missing? Let them scour the entire territory for all she cared. Perhaps they'll forget about her and keep on running until they are caught under the eyes of the law. She was going to stay right here and forget all that has happened. Grace had been too hungry to think about what would happen if she were somehow caught in here or outside. Sometimes it was better to forget all the bad things and enjoy life in happiness._

_The little fawn Juniper woke up from her nap and yawned. When she noticed Grace suckling from her mother, curiosity filled her mind. Was there another baby to add in the family? Gathering her footing, she carefully walked over to where the doe stood to ask._

"_Momma, who is she?"_

"_She's going to be staying with us for quite a while now," the doe licked Juniper's forehead hoping to make sure that her little fawn didn't think that she was being replaced by another baby animal she had never seen before. "She was lost and had no one to take care of her."_

"_Is she a deer too?"_

"_No sweetie…but I'm sure you two can get along well now; won't you? Wait until she's done eating, then you can talk to her."_

_Little Juniper sat in front of her mother patiently as she watched a hungry Grace carry on. If she wasn't a deer, then what was she and where did she come from? Unlike her and her mother, this one had a pink snout, floppy ears, and a yellow coat with a big tan spot, a long tail, and black hooves._

_When Grace turned her eyes over to Juniper, she ceased eating and blushed; unable to think about what to say to her. "Uh, h…howdy there," she made a small greeting gesture with her little hoof like a human waving howdy to someone. "My name is Grace, uh…how…do you do?" she stuttered._

"_Are you a deer?" Juniper asked in a small sweet voice as she moved closer to have a better look at Grace._

"_No, I'm a cow," Grace answered uneasily as Juniper nuzzled against her face. The doe could only smile warmly seeing this._

"_A cow…?" Juniper moved her head back in bewilderment. "…what's that?"_

"_Why me, of course," Grace gave a light chuckle. "You've never seen one like me before?"_

"_Uh-uh," Juniper shook her head. "But I like you. Wanna play with me?" The fawn was jumping for joy._

"_Play?" Grace perked her head up with a smile of hope. "You wish for me to play with you?" She had never been asked that before._

"_Sure, catch me if you can!" with great excitement, Juniper leaped outside of the cave with Grace running after her._

"_Wait for me!" she cried._

"_Don't run too far you two!" Orchid called out. "Stay on the green field and play nicely now!" She decided to move out of the cave and watch over the two as they played a game of chasing butterflies and chasing each other around the green grassy field like any other baby animals would. With the sun shining upon the younglings' faces, Grace had already taken pleasure with leaping and jumping in the fresh green grass filled with white and lavender columbine flowers. Soon Honey joined in all the fun in a game of hiding beneath the grass._

_When Grace's foster mother watched them from a few feet making sure that no harm came to them, a family of jackrabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and bluebirds dropped by to say hello to her. When one of the younger chipmunks asked why the other one didn't look similar to Juniper, Orchid tried her best to explain almost everything that Honey had told her about Grace being held against her will and never being properly cared for._

"_Bad men in this forest eh!" an elderly squirrel spoke sourly. "Beatin' on a poor defenseless calf like that gal over there. That's what they always do; beat on those smaller than they are," He pointed out to Grace who was still playing alongside Juniper with a game of "tag." And Honey was it. "We'll all have to do our best to see that she don't fall into their clutches again. And we'd be glad to keep an eye out for riders with gold badges." The rest of the families agreed. Orchid felt proud to hear them say that they would help out. _

_Since this part of the forest had been inhabited by harmless herbivores that enjoyed the peaceful silence without a single predator, it had also become an easier target for hunters to come and hunt down game. That has seldom happened too much, but Orchid knew that's how most travelers and cowboys made a living these days. It was also their way of surviving. But if hunting was done for nothing but sport, then that was plain wrong. She and the other forest critters heard many tales of men hunting for sport that were too horrible to talk about. And she didn't want Juniper or Grace to know about it; not while they were having fun in the sun. As a matter of fact, she couldn't bear to see anything spoil their happiness. So Orchid continued to watch over at them from a distance for the rest of the afternoon until dusk had fallen and the stars twinkled above.**

* * *

**_

Later, that evening

"_Ugh, feels like I been hit with a rock," Scar Face Sam had snapped out of his intoxication along with Hickory and Gene. They all gazed in bewilderment wondering how many hours they had passed out._

"_Why's it still dark out?"_

"_And why am I wearin' the same outfit?"_

"_That's what ya always wear?"_

_Sam looked at a liquor bottle next to him and snatched it up. From what he remembered, he and the gang had been enjoying a meal and drinking up as much of this stuff without stopping. They had usually only drank the light kind of liquor, yet this one was enough to knock them out for many long hours. Furious, he threw the bottle down with a crash. "Imbeciles!" he hollered loud enough to not only awaken the rest of the group, but to have his voice echoing in the distance like thunder. "That's the last time I let any one of ya pick out liquor labeled a hundred percent intoxication! Now look what's happened!" Everyone looked at how scattered the liquor bottles were about the camp. "Up till now, we'd be stranded by a blasted rainstorm!"_

_The sky was quite clear yet a few grey clouds had been seeping by in the distance. The color of those clouds meant that they would have to break up camp and try to find someplace else to take cover in case rain were to come dripping down on them tonight or tomorrow. So the bandits began hurrying anxiously to pack every one of their belongings while Lewis picked up all the empty liquor bottles off the ground to not take big chances of leaving behind evidence, in case any lawmen came riding in this same path sooner or later. When he thought he had gathered every last one, he thought of "his" precious working calf. So he went over to the mulberry bush to see if she was still there. But to his surprise, the only thing there was an unbuckled halter laid across the ground like a dog leash. No calf in sight._

"_What, how did she get out?" Lewis snapped._

"_What is it Lewis, anything wrong?" Sam asked impatiently._

"_That disobedient calf escaped from me again. She must've snuck off while we was knocked out!"_

"_Well relax now, I doubt she'd be capable of wanderin' down the hills. She must have just scampered off on the other side o' the river. We'll look over there. But first we have to find Tuck; he's missin' too. Must be out patrollin' the area by now. He'll track her down for us."_

Author's note: I have four or five chapters to go at least. But that depends on how many ideas I can come up with before moving on to the epilogue; We'll see how it goes.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

It had now been two weeks since Dr. Smith arrived on the farm to check up on Grace and see what the problem was. So far, he found that she was in perfectly good health, except for the slightly odd scars that were hidden beneath her hide. There had not been that many doctors in town and he was the only one available for both people and animals. He had told Pearl that it might have been a possibility that Grace was somehow mistreated at a very young age and her sudden outburst had been from a traumatic experience. The news of that shocked Pearl like a bolt of lightening; something that she might have never wanted to hear about any of the animals on her farm. Losing your home to bankruptcy and having nowhere else to go was bad enough. But to see an important member of your family be overcome by trauma of some sort seemed much worse. And following the doctor's instructions, Pearl had given Grace spoonfuls of sulfur and molasses to bring down the redness in her eyes; so far it had worked. But would Grace ever be rid of her troubled past and go back to being the sweet, happy off-key heifer she always was?

That night, Pearl was now inside the den sitting beside a calm saddened Grace. There she lay with her head pressed firmly on the warm hay. From the first time she saw Grace, she had been an adorable, yet shy little calf that didn't seem that used to human contact. Most cows are like that when they are young and Pearl had her own way of getting through to them with her motherly charm. She hadn't forgotten about the man who brought a young Grace here and never mentioned about her being mistreated or anything. All he had said was that she could be extremely shy around strangers and sometimes be alerted by loud noises such as hooves thundering on the ground, gunshots, lightening, etc. The only other information he gave about Grace was that she had been found abandoned on the trail with no one else to take care of her.

To see for herself, Pearl brushed back a few hairs between the shoulders and found three long cuts and a few minor ones. Most were bright red like burn marks from a brand iron; not too serious, but still quite visible. These cuts were no accident, but sadly there was nothing, not even Pearl could do to make them go away. Perhaps it was no good trying to do so.

"Oh Grace," Pearl muttered pitifully. "Did some no-good ruffian do somethin' like this to you?"

Grace turned her head to the other side not wanting Pearl to see the sadness in her eyes. She would have wanted to tell her the same story she told Maggie and Mrs. Calloway, only that everyone knew that animals were never supposed to talk to people. A painful lump had been growing in her throat as she tried to fight back the tears forming in her eyes.

With that kind of movement, Pearl understood how Grace was feeling deep inside and lifted the heifer's chin to meet her gaze. "Look at me for a moment…" she said with a grim-faced expression, "…I don't know what might've happened, but I swear if some dirty dog ever steps foot on this farm and tries to lay a finger on ya, I'll be sure to give him a good lesson; cause' no one ever messes with my family in front o' me."

She curled her left fist tightly thinking about that. Grace stared blankly at Pearl as if she never heard her say anything like this before. She had always spoken in the words of a kindly protective mother who looks out for her siblings. And her real anger would be directed at those who try to hurt them. And in those words, Pearl meant business. Grace listened as she continued in a high tone.

"Listen closely now, whatever else happened, don't let it bring ya down. It don't matter to me where ya'll from, what matters now is that you're here safe and sound with me and the rest o' the family. Besides what good is it to dwell on the past if all it does is keep yah from bein' happy?" Grace could feel a hand rub softly on her back. "Remember when I saw ya three girls take on that cattle rustler? Well if ya could take him on; why not try standin' up to whoever did this for once? You're a big girl now, right?" When she had lifted the hairs on her hide, Grace already knew that she was mentioning the scars. Something about what she said made her perk up and smile a bit. Maybe she could try doing that if she ever saw Lewis again someday. "Sleep well now…" she said as she patted Grace reassuringly on the head, "…and remember, you're safe here." After that, Pearl closed the doors and left. It was now safe for Maggie and Mrs. Calloway to come out from the heavy pile of straw they had been hiding under the whole time.

"So what happened next afterward?" Maggie asked as she shook bits of straw off the top of her head. "Did you stay with the deer family until you were found and rescued?"

"I don't remember how long I've stayed with them. But during that time, I had forgotten all about the bad men and Lewis."**

* * *

**

_Grace had never felt so welcomed before. During the days, Orchid had taught her and Juniper how to swim in the creek. Juniper had been getting the hang of it, but somehow Grace had already learned to dive all the way to the bottom and swim back up to the surface. It took some more practice to learn about holding your breath underneath for a few minutes and then coming up for air, but Grace had become a fast learner. She even helped Juniper along whenever she was having trouble with one technique. Sometimes she and the little fawn would have a race out in the green field of wildflowers. Grace had been in the lead with Juniper bolting after her. Because she was a little older, she had won most of the races, but Juniper seldom ever complained or pouted and admitted to Grace that she really was a fast runner. But for some reason, Grace felt a little guilty for always winning when she would sometimes notice a look of disappointment on Juniper's face. Deep inside, she was proud of being a fast runner and swimmer but never intended to boast about her skills. So during one race, Grace had pretended to lose her balance and fall in the middle of the trail so that it would give Juniper enough time to make it all the way to the finish line. The smaller forest critters gathered around the prancing fawn to congratulate her for winning her first race. Grace congratulated her as well and admitted that she did a great job. She vowed secretly that she would let Juniper win once in a while during the next few games to play._

_When dusk had approached, Orchid had called for them to come in and get ready to go to sleep. As soon as the sun slipped beyond the trees of the forest, the air felt chilled, a full moon appeared and stars twinkled in the bright midnight sky. During those nights, Grace would often stare up in wonder at the starlit stars above while snuggling beside Orchid warmly. Then after a while, she fell fast asleep. To stay with a mother deer in a cave was a safe place for Grace to be. So far, Orchid was proud of the little baby cow not only for learning so well, but for her friendliness with the forest critters and getting along fine with Juniper. She had fully understood why Grace would sometimes lose a race on purpose. As long as they were not shouting too much about victory, it was alright. The two were taught never to boast about being better than someone or another, because sometimes it would lead to trouble or drive friends away. Someday when Juniper was older, she would turn out to be as good an athlete as Grace was. Orchid believed her milk had helped Grace to become strong and healthy every minute. Maybe if it was still milk from a cow, she might not have grown up to be different from other cows as she was now. She even told Grace that someday her athletic skills would come in handy for helping those in need._

_But as much as Orchid loved Grace dearly, she knew that the time to let her go would soon be near. A domesticated animal such as a dairy cow couldn't possibly survive out in the wilderness on her own even if she wanted to. There were many unknown dangers out here and she felt that it would be too much for Grace to handle. With still no news of any other riders passing through, Orchid stayed true to her word that Grace could stay until she was found. Like all kind mothers, she only wanted what was best for her._

"_Don't swim too far off the creek now!" Orchid called out to Grace and Juniper who were having another fun time swimming in the creek where Honey was keeping a close eye on the two. The fawn swam in circles around the calf like a dragonfly hovering in the air. This had made Grace dizzy enough to not even notice her sneak up from behind and lunge at her playfully. Today had been another beautiful day with the sun shining and the birds singing far in the distance._

"_Got you didn't I," Juniper said teasingly after the two surfaced up._

"_You sure got me this time," Grace admitted, "Now catch me if you can." She swam past Juniper like a speeding bullet._

"_Hey wait for me!" Juniper bolted after her as fast as she could._

_This time Grace had remembered to slow down a bit so that Juniper wouldn't struggle to keep up with her. It just wouldn't be fair for her to win in every single game. It didn't take too long for Grace to be stopped by Juniper who had seized her by the tail with her teeth. For the rest of the afternoon, the two younglings continued to laugh and splash water at each other until they were tired out from all that deep diving._

"_Alright you two, I think all that swimmin' has left you breathless," said Honey as she fluttered above. "What do ya'll say we take a short rest out on the field?"_

"_Ok," Grace agreed._

"_Whatever you say Honey," added Juniper._

_The two swam behind Honey as she was leading them back to the bank where Orchid grazed on fresh green grass. But before they were halfway there, Honey stopped to notice a flock of birds flying by whistling an urgent message that only she could understand. In the sky, dark grey clouds were heading this way which could only mean one thing._

"_Honey, what's going on?" Grace asked puzzled._

"_Hurry, come on; a storm is coming!" _

"_A storm, what is that?" Juniper spoke curiously._

"_There ain't no time to explain, come on!" The bluebird darted over to the bank and signaled for Grace and Juniper to come over._

_Then suddenly, thunder rumbled in the dark clouds that were now hovering above them. The scent of rain could be smelled in the gusty wind already picking up speed. The more the black clouds gathered, the stronger the wind became. Even the sun disappeared with its shine. Honey was having a tough time fighting against it while Grace and Juniper were growing frightened and struggling to make it to shore. Juniper still held on to Grace by her tail. _

"_Hang on!" Grace cried out as she fought against the rushing currents of the river. The wind whipped across her face as raindrops were now sprinkling down in the midst of the forest. Orchid came rushing over to come in and pull them out._

_CRACK! A bright flash of lightening streaked across the heavens which had scared little Juniper enough to accidentally let go of Grace's tail. Now she was being swept downstream by the strong currents pressured by the windstorm._

"_Juniper!" Orchid cried in a panic. Before she knew it, Grace had dove back into the creek in an attempt to try and save the little fawn. "Grace!" The mother deer pranced along the bank near the creek followed by Honey. The two couldn't possibly swim through these massive currents. She watched in horror as Juniper struggled to keep her head above the surface while her long legs thrashed the water. This time, the current dragged her under. Orchid thought she might have drowned along with Grace._

_Just when all seemed lost, another figure had risen up to the surface carrying Juniper over her back. Grace swam through the currents and grabbed hold of a branch that stuck out over the raging river. With amazement, Orchid pranced over and pulled Juniper out who was now coughing up water and shaking bits from her coat. Now all she had left to do was help Grace out so that she and the two would be safe inside their cozy cave._

_CCRRAACCKK!! Too late; the branch broke off with a sharp snap and in an instant, Grace was racing toward even deadlier currents downstream. Hard as she tried to swim against it, the water proved to be stronger than she was. Grace cried out for her foster mother as she was pushed farther from the bank._

_Leaving Honey to help guide her fawn back to the safety of the cave, Orchid raced along the riverbank fearfully. Somehow, she had to jump in and save Grace or else she would surely drown. _

"_Grace hang on!" Orchid yelled as loud as she dared. "I'm coming in!" _

_Grace wanted to scream for her again, but a rush of water swelled, pulling her underneath. The mule deer made a dive into the rushing currents since most adults were known to be stronger at swimming than their younglings. So far, she couldn't see where Grace had disappeared to in the dark water. She kept on swimming around but found nothing. With her lungs burning inside, Orchid popped up to the surface and looked around frantically for Grace. She dove under again, yet still no sign of the calf. Grace had disappeared in the raging river._

"_Grace, where are you?" Orchid cried a moment after rising above. No answer had come. Only the sounds of the currents were present. And with the rain coming down, it might be impossible to call out or search for her during the storm. "Grace!" With still no answer; Orchid feared that she might not have made it to shore. Once this storm clears up, maybe she could ask Honey to go out and search for the calf to make sure if she was still alive or not. She still had Juniper to watch over and keep safe. It was the only option for her to think about. Swimming toward the bank, she hoped that Grace was not seriously injured or killed. If only she could have been fast enough to save her from being carried away.**

* * *

**_

Somewhere along a different riverbank

_When night had fallen, the rain and wind decreased. Grace had somehow miraculously swept up to the edge of the sandy shore. For a while, she laid there motionless like a wet leaf. Even if she was athletic, could all those strong currents been too much for her to handle at such a young age? Although jumping back in the river to save Juniper seemed foolish, it was also a brave deed she had ever committed; her first heroic effort nonetheless._

_Several minutes later, Grace began to stir slightly coughing up water on the ground. Catching her breath, she opened her eyes and realized that she might not have been in the area of Silent Creek any longer. The storm may have cleared but the calf hardly felt relieved to be swept on another unknown area. What if she might have drifted to the lower part of the plateau where predators roamed?_

"_No, I can't be that far from Silent Creek," Grace said anxiously. "I have to get back up there." Shaking the water off of her coat, Grace wondered if she should try finding a path back up herself or stay where she is until someone finds her as Orchid once taught her. These woods were new to her and she felt uncertain of which place to take cover in case the rain started again. Perhaps journeying through these woods wasn't such a bright idea; not as long as it was shrouded in darkness._

"_What if I'm in a predator's territory?" she whispered to herself. However, she heard no growl or hiss nearby. Only the breeze of the rushing river remained present here. No wind blew and no fireflies buzzed about. "If only Momma were here with me." She was almost on the verge of tears until her eyes spotted low thick branches hovering over some sort of trampled grass. "Maybe I could rest there."_

_Having no other choice to make, Grace crawled underneath the branches to take shelter on the soft bedded grass untouched by the rain. It wasn't quite perfect, but it was dry enough. She laid her head down to keep calm and put her mind off what happened recently. The last of the storm clouds cleared away and a full moon peeked over the horizon._

_During the rest of the night while Grace succumbed to sleep, she was completely unaware of footsteps approaching from somewhere in the woods. Was she dreaming or was she only half asleep to be hearing something from afar? Nothing seemed simpler as it might have been before; especially being lost in ones dreams._

_Then a twig had snapped not too far. It might have awakened Grace, but she had only stirred, believing she was still hearing things in her dream. Besides the sounds of footsteps, there came the clanking of heavy metal spurs and the snorting of horses. The clanking seemed to be growing closer and closer every second which grew rather frightening._

"_So there ya are," a voice had spoken in an unfriendly tone. "Thought ya could get away eh; ya little troublemaker."_

_Grace did not awaken until a strong lasso was thrown around her neck._


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_What happened next at that point, Grace did not know. In her fatigue, not only did she believe she was still dreaming, but it was now suddenly turning into a nightmare. She felt something tug frantically around her neck and pull her roughly out from underneath the branches. She tried to focus on who had been responsible for this, but her vision was blurry._

"_Hold still ya little runt!" the voice demanded as Grace now felt rough hands seize her shoulder blades and slam her entire body to the ground. She had bellowed in pain. "This time you're not goin' anywhere." With those dark words spoken to her, something else pinned her down on her rib as her front legs were locked on together by some kind of rope. It was then that this restraint realization had hit her. She was being tied up by some unknown human being. But who was it? Grace's eyes widened in horror when a memory returned to her; the bandits! She remembered how the outlaw gang had been drunk and of Honey leading her away to Silent Creek. Unable to kick due to the ropes binding her legs, she cried as if calling for help._

"_Aw shut up!" the voice spat unkindly as Grace could see the shadowy figure dig into his pockets to pull out a long cloth of some sorts. "Maybe this'll keep ya silent!" He seemed to have wrapped the item around her snout before Grace realized that she could no longer cry out._

_Now that she could no longer move any part of her body, the dark figure had picked her up off the ground and placed her body over another figure snorting heavily. It felt as if she were on top of a horse. Was she being carried over the horse of Scar Face Sam again? If so, then how long ago was she in hiding from the bandits?_

_When the horses hooves could be heard clapping on the ground, Grace could feel her legs bumping against its ribs. She could hold back no longer as anxiety overwhelmed her. Her fate was in the hands of the ruthless bandits who were now about to hold her hostage once again. There was nothing she could do to fight back against this situation out of her control; not while her legs were tied and her mouth was gagged. She tried to scream but all that she made was a soft moan. Unexpectedly she fell into a deep sleep._

* * *

Early the next day

_With dawn approaching, the familiar shadow figure had been riding his horse through the forest all through the night with the bound captive placed over his saddlebow. So far, he and his gang spent the last couple of days searching for another hiding place that would be able to keep them safe from the stormy weather. Not a single day went with any sight of law enforcement tracking them down. But that didn't mean they were not still being followed. Where he was heading next was one other area where it was hidden securely in the eastern side of the plateau region; even further than where they had made their last camping place next to the river._

_It had never occurred to Grace that the bandits would ever be that stupid enough to just leave her out here in the wilderness while they were still on the run. And they still wanted cautiously to make sure that none of them would leave behind any clues to have any other rider thinking of any suspicious activity wandering in these woods. The lawmen who they have encountered recently were already aware of them holding an innocent golden calf as their only hostage and might as well have started spreading rumors about it to other folks they encountered. Luckily for them, this plateau region laid miles away from roads and people. Moving out on one area at night to avoid being spotted was easier said than done. Already Sam and his gang of crooks had taken a liking to this new hiding place where there was enough live meat wandering the woods to last all year. He just kept on riding his horse forward as if he were a cattle baron on some important business._

_Moments later, the rider's horse had arrived at a large cabin surrounded by large pine trees with enormous branches and a waterfall that rushed fifteen ft away. It had seemed rather old and abandoned for a long time because of its aging timber and unused tools left behind by whoever once lived here. The front wooden door hung from hinges, there were small glass pane windows, and a chimney made out of hand-cut boards._

_Leaping from his horse and tying the long rein to a nearby post, he pulled Grace off and carried her inside._

"_Sorry I'm late ya'll," he said proudly to a group of four men who were gathered around the fireplace having breakfast of biscuits, bacon, and coffee. "Had a little run in with a familiar runaway. Say where's Lewis?"_

"_He's in the bedroom restin'," answered Gene whilst drinking down his coffee. He and the gang were too busy eating to pay much attention to him carrying their runaway captive. "I reckon he's still a bit knocked out from the liquor."_

"_No kiddin'," Sam scoffed as he entered the bedroom where Lewis had been resting softly on a bed made of wood with a mattress in the center. There were pasted newspapers on the left side of the wall next to the bed to keep out the wind and rain. Two black trunks stood at the far right corner which the bandits would find useful for storing in their belongings. Parts of the ceilings and walls were a little dusty._

"_Yo Lewis wake up!" he tapped Lewis timidly on the shoulder. Lewis snorted as he rose up with a start and found Sam standing next to him._

"_What is it?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eyes._

"_Look what I found wanderin' alone at night," he jeered as he held out Grace in front of him._

"_What the…there you are!" he reached out to grab Grace, forgetting about being tired._

_When the bound calf regained consciousness, the first thing she became aware of was hearing familiar voices around her. Not those ones of kindness, but the cunning and crafty. Those kinds made her nervous and frightened as usual. With her eyes open, she realized too late that she had not been dreaming after all when she found that she was in a new place. It almost looked like the inside of Lewis's home, except that everything in here was made from wood. Gazing into the eyes of her "owner", she squirmed and struggled to escape from his grasp, but then she looked down at her legs and had forgotten that she still tied up and gagged. The memory of her recapture in the woods had been rather hazy._

"_I hope ya didn't mind me doin' what I had to do," Sam said slyly pointing his gloved finger to the ropes. "I couldn't risk her runnin' off again or makin' a loud racket!"_

"_I don't mind at all," Lewis replied, still keeping a firm grip on her. "Perhaps it will keep her from runnin' out on me again." He gazed around the room trying to figure out where his prize calf should be tied up to. There were only the four legs that held the bed steady and straight. "Guess this will have to do." He sighed as he jumped off the bed. _

_Forcing Grace to sit straight up like a dog, he fished around his traveling bag and pulled out a rope made of hemp. With it, he wrapped the object from around her neck and to the leg of the bed. Then he decided to tie the rest below her chest to prevent her front legs from moving an inch. When he was done fastening her, Grace tried to open her mouth and cry, but each cry was muffled by the gag. Sam left the room to attend to other important matters._

"_Don't think that hollerin' will get you anywhere bovine!" Lewis snapped a moment before swiping his hand across the side of her face. It stung her terribly. "Where were you for the past ten days that we spent searchin' for a new hidin' place? You didn't think I'd give up on you that easily now did you?" His tone turned menacing making Grace shiver. "It's all because o' your recklessness that I am a fugitive from the law and now see what I had to do." _

_Without warning, Lewis took hold of her blond hair in a painful grip. "How many times do I hafta warn ya? I don't even care where you might've been but startin' tomorrow, you won't be given a scrap o' food or drop of water for ten days. Let that make up for the length of time that you were out hidin' from me." He gave another blow to the face making her cringe. "I promised myself I'd give you fifty hits with my whip if you ever disobeyed me again!" suddenly his voice grew calm and steady. "…but not this time since I thought of a much better idea to keep yah from runnin' out on me again; somethin' I shoulda done a long time ago. But that'll have to wait till mornin'." With a yawn, Lewis went back to lying on the bed for a bit more rest from that intoxication. With his arms under the pillow, he succumbed to sleep. It proved that he was much too tired to continue ranting any further than he usually did. Tying her to his bed was punishment enough for now._

_For a few minutes, Grace tugged frantically at the ropes binding her legs and to the bed. But it was useless; it hurt doing so. The ropes didn't even budge. Was this the end of her freedom and life in the outside world? Would she never see her mother and the little fawn again?_

_Grace felt herself growing nervous and defeated with those questions filling her mind. From what Lewis told her, she had been with the deer family for ten days in hiding. Even if they were not her own kind, they felt like family to her. But now it seems that she had lost another mother during the rainstorm. Maybe she should have allowed Orchid to jump in there and rescue Juniper. Then she wouldn't be back in captivity. But wouldn't she have been lost at the bottom area as well? Again her mind was as confused as ever. With the limited movement allowed her, she adjusted herself to get comfortable against the leg, despite the ropes. If she was to be denied of any food and water, then she might as well be tied up miserably to this bed for who knows how long. This time, there would be nobody to sneak in food for her or give her words of comfort. It was going to be nothing but misery in this cabin._

_From the fireplace, she could hear the gang telling stories and boasting of their past successes. Don't they ever stop talking about it? Grace thought rolling her eyes in irritation. She didn't know how she would put up with this. Now she wished that the storm did not come so quickly. At this point she should be back with Orchid and Juniper feeling safe and loved, not being trapped in this cabin all tied up and helpless to move about. There was nothing more for her to do in this situation other than moan and struggle. What else were these outlaws planning to do other than keep her as some sort of prized possession? She listened closely to what they were saying._

"_Boy ain't it a shame that lawmen give up too easily on tryin' to catch up and bring us to justice. That's life for an outlaw I tell yah." When those words were spoken, Grace thought she heard a small click before a strange odor could be smelt from the room she was in. He must have been smoking._

"_Well we ain't seen or heard nothin' about them recently so they might as well have quit and gone on home; guess we're too good. While we're still here, we could sell some of these hides and antlers from that entire elk we've hunted. I hear shops in town will pay good money for them."_

"_Lewis hasn't been that much help to us recently for the past few days. All he's done is sleep all through the day. Sometimes I get the feelin' he's no longer interested in helpin' us no more."_

"_Let him rest all he wants," the voice of Sam interrupted. "In a little while, he'll be back on his feet in no time. Besides if it weren't for his cleverness and trickery, well uh…what would we be without him? Whenever we were trapped in a tight spot, he'd think of a way out."_

"_What about the money he gave you when we was still hidin' out in the desert? Where did he get all that?" one of them asked curiously._

"_By sellin' all those stolen cattle, where else," Sam replied hastily. "When he was still a member of our gang, old Lewis claimed that if he'd help roundup every single one o' them cattle to town for sale, then the money would be ours to keep. I never woulda expected him to remember that long-made agreement, but he did. I also remember him mentionin' that he'd keep on helpin' us, even while startin' a new life as a rancher. That's why we need him on our trip back to outlaw town. We'll be there before the snow strands us in this place."_

_From the bedroom, Grace continued to overhear Sam talk to his men more about how Lewis and the gang had spent their time robbing banks, trains, and making money stealing cattle and pawning valuable jewelry. Her friend Sampson was right; her "owner" was in cahoots with these men before and is already thinking of rejoining them after the end of summer before the bitter snow. She didn't want to hear anymore of what Lewis was going to do to her since she already knew enough of it. Grace didn't know what was worse in this situation, being taken further away without hope of escape, or waiting for other terrible things to happen before she knew anything else. When she had overheard one of the bandits mention something about selling a few hides, she had a terrible feeling that they came from the animals around this forest. Her blood ran cold from realizing what would happen if they found out about Orchid and Juniper._

_Grace began to hope that her momma would not take a dangerous risk of coming down to this area to search for her. She couldn't bear to think about that. These moments of her being trapped here had been a punishment that was too much to bear. Grace stared down at the wooden floor with tears soaking her gag and pleaded silently for all this to end._


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Meanwhile in the forest 

"_Now don't you blame yourself for what happened sugar," Honey fluttered above the deer's cave trying to ease Orchid's pain of loss. "That blasted storm could've overpowered all o' us here in the forest. I myself was no match for them ragin' winds blowin' against my wings." _

_Orchid could only gaze up at Honey with a saddened frown. Suppose she was right about the storm; there didn't seem to be any point in arguing about it. But she couldn't bear to stand the thought of what would happen if her adoptive child ever got lost at the very bottom or never had made it to land. Even with Juniper safe by her side, she hated to have to lose another child despite not being of their own kind. No other baby cow like Grace should ever deserve to be mistreated cruelly, neglected, ignored, picked on, abandoned or be held captive by bad men. _

_"I know," answered Orchid truthfully, "But she was like another daughter to me and a sister to Juniper. We both loved her." _

_Little Juniper reared her tiny head upward to her mother feeling just as heartbroken as she was about Grace. She wanted to cry, but kept it in to keep her mother from seeing them. Why did she have to disappear from them like that? _

_"If it makes the both of you feel better, I'd be more than willin' to form search groups to find out where she might've gone to," Honey insisted. _

_You can do that?" asked Orchid hopefully. Juniper perked up. _

_"I can try," replied Honey, "What other option is there? I'll be back before yah know it." _

_And with that, the bluebird flew off into the distance to find whoever may be able to help her on this expedition to the whereabouts of Grace.**

* * *

**_

Back at the cabin

_Later that night, Grace struggled frantically to get comfortable against the leg of the bed she was tied up to. But with being restrained in a tight position, each move made the ropes feel tighter than usual. Now her entire body was aching from being forced to sit up straight all afternoon. _

_To her surroundings there was not much to see but the two black trunks which sat in the right corner. The room was about the size of the shack Lewis confined her in. But at that time, he had allowed her to move about a little; right now she was going nowhere. Darkness was everywhere around her, making her edgy. On the bed, Lewis was snoring lightly like a tiny bumblebee buzzing its wings, but that was the least of her problems. The bandits could be heard sleeping in the fireplace area. The unpleasant smell of cigarette smoke still wavered in the air filling her nostrils. _

_This was all beyond hope. Even if she thought of a way to escape, each entrance was locked up good and tight. And there was no way Tuck would fall for any of her tricks, he seemed too smart for that. She would have nowhere to escape to. This time it was serious; with her freedom forever taken away, she realized that no victory was to be cherished. She would never succeed in thinking of an escape plan, being untied, or finding some other way to get out of this mess before she is taken further away. Maybe it was better this way. Maybe she was never meant to be with a loving family. This was her life now. _

_Grace could feel her mouth water beneath the gag. Although she wasn't quite hungry, she was thirstier and would give anything to have a sip of refreshed water from the flowing river. She hadn't had a drop to drink all through the day. Oh what was she thinking? There was no way she would desire what she needed. After all, Lewis did mention that he would not give her food or water for ten days. Ten days! She could never take that long without water! _

_Every muscle in her body ached more, and she longed to move up and stretch out her four legs. But there was nothing she could do to relieve the pain. Anger began to flare in her heart; one way or another she would have to stand up to her owner someday. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday she'd have to. As Honey told her, folks like Lewis and the bandits will someday be the ones begging for mercy. Hopefully that day won't come so slowly now. _

_She'd never forget that lofty tone in Lewis's voice as he said he would give her fifty hits with his whip for running away from him. It had been mixed with malice, fury, and disappointment. Overcome by fear and sadness in her heart, Grace sunk her head down and she shook with great heaving sobs. Her hope of being with a loving family had shattered into a million broken pieces after being recaptured. Would her "owner" really remember to give fifty hits after the ten days were up? With escape out of the question, her one last hope was rescue. For so many hours, she had been too tired and frightened to think straight about what was most important. _

_Grace felt confident that rescue was inevitable and would only be a matter of time before the forest critters formed a search party or that the lawmen could miraculously ride this way by luck. She hated Lewis with all her heart and couldn't stand how he had treated her for the past two and a half months. Worse yet, she couldn't stand to think about him wanting to drag her all the way to outlaw town, home to every untried desperado in the west; the one place where the law can't touch them. It made her sick to think about having to live the rest of her life as a captive while probably slaving away at some other ranch. That's what he is planning to do with me! Grace thought with frustration. By the time Lewis and the bandits take her away to outlaw town, she would be forced to work without rest until she could no longer take it. And if she couldn't work anymore, it is likely for her that she'll end up as the next main course on an outlaw's dinner plate. _

_It didn't seem to matter anymore if she would ever be rescued or not. With tears filling her eyes, it felt more like years since she had been living under the wrath of Lewis and his brutality. Wherever she had traveled with these men, every land had no path or end. It was easy to get lost in the forest, desert, and town without knowing where to turn to. Grace trembled violently while still tied against the bed. She screamed for help again but it was muffled underneath the gag. Nobody would ever hear her out in these woods; it was hopeless. _

_All she could do was sit here and do nothing until it would be time to move out of this place. Once again, she tugged at the ropes which made the leg of the bed creak softly. Lewis stirred and snorted, but did not wake. They would never loosen a bit; Lewis tied them real tight to prevent escape. Grace shook her head in agony as more tears poured down her cheeks, soaking her gag. Her future would never be hers to decide. Whatever happens would be up to Lewis to take care of that, and no amount of false hopes was going to change that either. Grace moved her tear-stained face down slowly as she fell asleep throughout the rest of the night. Moonlight sauntered through the window of the room shinning down upon the lonely figure.**

* * *

**_

That one morning 

_At first light during the early morning hours, Grace opened her eyes groggily halfway to find that she was in the same room with Lewis still asleep on the bed. She must have fallen asleep herself, but couldn't remember how long though. In this new room, it had been hard for her to tell how many hours or days had passed since this ever happened. She moved her neck left and right to ease the pain from having it slumped all night long. _

_A few minutes later, Grace could hear movement in the fireplace which meant that the bandits were already awake and ready to cook breakfast as usual. But what happened next was a moan of disappointment. _

_"Aw dang, we ain't got no more bacon, biscuits, or coffee in our bags!" she heard one gripe. _

_"Then we'll just have to go out and find a town close to here," suggested the leader. "I'll leave a note on this table in case Lewis wakes up and finds that we're missin'. He'll be alright." Since Sam knew that Lewis might still be recovering from the alcohol effect, he reckoned it would probably not be a good idea to disturb him for other good reasons. _

_After that moment, Grace heard the men walk out the cabin door and mount their horses to take off in search of more food supplies to last for the next couple of weeks. She jumped at the thundering of hooves which rumbled loudly in her chest for twenty seconds before coming to a stop. So far, Grace had feared loud noises from thundering hooves, lightening strike, gunshots, and the crack of the whip. All of them represented something terrible happening to her. _

_Grace could feel and hear Lewis turn on one side of the bed snoring soundly like a buzzing bee. It was now becoming irritating to hear, yet she couldn't cover her ears. Right now she wished she were outside in the sunshine singing one of her favorite folk songs with her friends. The poor calf snapped to attention when she heard the floor of the cabin hall creak from each footstep growing closer. Seeing that it was Tuck poking his head in, Grace turned her head away with her eyes closed. _

_"Well look at what the cowboy dragged in," he jeered, stepping in for a closer look at the calf's frightened face. "If ya ask me, I ain't ever seen a runt like you look that good in ropes. Boy you sure are one messed up troublemaker." _

_Those words made Grace boil deep inside like food sizzling in a frying pan. Everything negative and unkind said about her wasn't true at all. She turned her head to the other side when his foul breath reeked over her. If it weren't for these blasted ropes binding her, she'd give this Doberman thug a great big kick in the rear. That surely would teach him a thing about loyalty to others. After every dishonest deed he had committed throughout this trip, it was nothing more than an act to please his masters and be rewarded with a tender meal. There was nothing loyal about Tuck or what he had said; he was nothing more than a coward and a fool. If only she had the courage to say that to him, except that all she could do was moan softly. _

_"Huh, what's that?" said Tuck viciously with his head lowering closer with a furrowed brow. "You wish to congratulate me and my masters on our success? Why I thought you'd never agree to that." He finished, putting his paw to her cheek. Grace flinched away from his touch. _

_In truth, Tuck knew that if he removed the gag, all he would hear from this calf would be insults and back talking. The shouts would even be loud enough to wake up Lewis on the bed, and he didn't want to take any chances of waking up the entire neighborhood with her bloodcurdling screaming. With nothing more to say to Grace, he decided to run outside and keep a lookout for any familiar riders on the trail. Glad that it was over, Grace tugged at the ropes without success. There had to be a way out of here sooner or later.**

* * *

**_

That afternoon 

_"Well what do ya know, another fine day in the forest," Lewis yawned as he stretched out his arms and cracked his back. He acted as if nothing strange had happened; he was now wide awake and ready for a new day. Stepping off the bed, he walked outside with a pile of clean clothes, possibly to bathe in the river close to this area out of view. It had only taken about half an hour for him to come back and find a note on the table for him to read: _

_**Lewis, **_

_**Me and the boys have rushed out to search for the nearest town to stock up on more supplies for our trip. Hope you don't mind us leaving you behind; wouldn't want to disturb your rest. We'll be back in a short while so don't go anywhere. **_

_**Scar Face Sam **_

_Placing the note back on the table, Lewis could only chuckle lightly, knowing that he had nothing to fear from the letter. He never did like to have anyone disturb him from a nice peaceful rest; especially when one is recovering from an illness or long hike in the wilderness. _

_"Well while the gang is out runnin' some errands, I better start workin' on brandin' my calf. Let's see now, there's got to be somethin' here I can use to…wait a minute. The back yard is fool o' ranchin' tools; I could use one of those." Lewis's footsteps could be heard running outside. _

_With him gone, Grace had no idea what he meant about working on branding his calf, but whatever it was made her nervous. His surprises always made her cringe. First with that whip, and now this new word called branding. What was it? _

_Unable to see what was happening, Lewis came back in with wood for the fireplace and lit it up with a lighter. In a matter of seconds the fire was ready and what Grace didn't see was him placing a long iron rod over the fire as he sat down waiting for it to turn red.**

* * *

**_

**Author's Note**: Sorry about the long update. There has been a problem with the uploading device in the Documents section recently. I have to thank one of my friends doodlegirl for the same helpful advice given by another member HC247. I'll give them credit for helping me out with updating. If any of you readers are having trouble uploading, PM (private message) me and I'll help as well.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

_During the time when Lewis was asleep in the early morning, Honey had informed a flock of bluebirds about the disappearance of a dairy calf fostered by a deer family. Two search parties were formed and split up in different directions as Honey herself decided to search for Grace in an another area alone._

_What she did find was a peculiar cabin hidden out of sight with trees surrounding the area. What would an abandoned cabin be doing with six horses tied to a post? Flying down to investigate, she stopped zooming halfway in midair to find five men in dark clothing mount five of the horses and take off into the distance. Could they be the same men holding Grace hostage once again? With no time to waste, Honey flew down to the cottage to peek through every window._

_The last window contained the room with Lewis snoring on the bed. And who should Honey see tied up and gagged? It was Grace! And she was struggling in her bonds to break free. If every entrance in this cabin wasn't closed tight, she could just…no it wouldn't work. Her beak was not strong enough to cut the ropes. Before she could knock on the window, Honey viewed Tuck coming in to pick on the helpless calf. That part made her burn up inside; nobody treats her friends like that. She flew away from the window seconds after Tuck walked out of the cabin. It would have been a foolish choice for her to fly in by herself without a plan. The other search parties would be wondering where she is._

_Soaring across the sky searching for the others, her beady eyes set upon a group of other riders moving their horses through a trail that may be leading them in a different direction from the cabin. They certainly weren't the other men she saw earlier; these ones were wearing gold badges on their shirts. Have the lawmen come at last? To see if it was true, she went down to have a look.**

* * *

**_

Back at the cabin

_It had been at least thirty minutes since Lewis placed the iron rod over the fireplace and was sitting impatiently on a chair waiting until it glowed. The bandits had just arrived back with as much food supplies as they could find in a nearby town. They were quite pleased that Lewis did not blow his top when they entered through the door. He looked as if the alcohol effect over him had worn off and he didn't seem as drowsy as he did before._

"_What're you up to there Lewis?" Sam asked as he laid his bag on the floor._

"_I'm preparin' to mark my calf. All cattle must be branded for a rancher to identify ownership," Lewis said slyly with satisfaction. The tip of the rod was now a bright reddish color._

"_Whatever you say partner," said Sam, checking his bags. "Just be careful where ya stick that thing."_

_With a malicious smile, Lewis pulled the red hot iron out of the fireplace and treaded slowly to the bedroom like a soldier carrying a sword in hand. Now was the perfect time for his cow to be marked as property. The symbol he would give her shall be in the shape of an LW; which stands for Lewis Wesley._

_Grace who stood stiff against the bed perked her head up as Lewis entered the room with the hot iron held in his hands. It filled the room with an acrid stench like a campfire burning all night._

_Grace mumbled as if she were trying to ask him what he was going to do with that frightening thing he was holding firmly. Fear was building inside of her like an illness with her heart pounding violently. The closer Lewis came, the more Grace began to panic. It was no use trying to break free of the unbreakable ropes; she was trapped._

_Standing beside her, Lewis held the burning iron back and pointed it a few inches directly at the right side of her rump. Puffing out her chest, Grace felt beads of sweat soak her face when she had a bad feeling of what Lewis was planning. He couldn't possibly be thinking…_

"_No need to get all fussy now little miss," Lewis taunted, still holding the sizzling red hot iron. "This is how folks mark their cattle." Then he moved the object closer with a wicked smile across his face._

_The fear level in Grace rose higher when she now understood what he was going to do. Once again, she shook with panic. Even if it was no good trying to escape out of the ropes, there was no use calming down at this point. Screaming was inevitable beyond someone's hearing. Beneath the gag she cried, "No, no, please don't!" _

"_Brace yourself bovine," Lewis warned as he pointed the iron closer to her rump, "Because this is really goin' to burn." Grace shivered as she felt the heat of the iron draw close._

_But as it reached an inch from her hide, Lewis stopped short only to be interrupted by the fierce barking of Sam's Doberman as he could be heard coming this way._

"_What in the…dang it, what's up with Tuck this time?" Sam threw his items down and went outside to see the problem._

"_Maybe cats got his tongue or somethin'," Gene snorted, as he was preparing to light up a cigarette. _

_Assuming it was nothing important, the gang went back to their daily activities until each one of them jumped at the angry shouts of Lewis from the bedroom._

"_Get, beat it ya bunch o' buzzards!" he hollered as if he was trying to chase away something. To them it seemed unlikely for someone to do that to a captive who was already tied down._

"_I said get outta here!" To their surprise, Lewis dashed out of the room covering his face as a flock of different colored birds flew at him wildly pecking and pulling his clothes. "Beat it or I'll stick this iron at ya!" he was now waving the red iron as his only weapon in hand. The birds managed to dodge the attack and kept poking him. "What are all these blasted birds tryin' to do?" He aimed the iron at another bird but missed. The bandits were now jumping back to avoid being burnt and attacked. Soon the birds were repeating the same attack as they did with Lewis. With the birds distracting the bad men, this had given a bloodhound with a mouse on top of his head the chance to go in the cabin unnoticed.**

* * *

**_

Inside

"_Grace, is that you?" a familiar voice of a mousy critter caused a grief-stricken Grace to snap back to reality. Could it possibly be the voice of an old friend she thought that she would never see again? Blinking her teary eyes to wash the blurriness away, her heart began to lift at the sight of Dan with Sampson riding on him._

"_Sampson?" she mumbled through her gag._

"_Grace, what did those no good boozehounds do this time?" Shocked by her dismal appearance, Sampson sprinted over behind Grace's head and removed the gag._

"_Lewis was going to…to…" For a moment, her joy was switched to sorrow. Grace was having difficulty trying to explain what Lewis had been trying to do. She stiffened her lip as if she was about to cry. The event was frightening._

"_No time to ask questions now," Dan said hesitantly as he came by and bit at the ropes binding her front legs. "We've got to get your friend outta these blasted ropes."_

"_Don't you worry Grace," Sampson said bravely with his teeth gnawing at the ropes around her neck. "Believe it or not, this time he'll pay." He was feeling angrier with seeing her tied up and bruised all over her back than he was about her abduction. His worst fears had been realized, yet he was already wise enough to know that he had nothing to do with what just happened to her. After this was over, Grace would finally be free of Lewis's wrath and would never have to live with being beaten in his household again. The rope around her neck broke off with a snap which allowed Sampson to brush it aside and move on to the ropes that prevented her front legs from moving. "Hold still, I almost have it."_

_Having no knife to cut her free, the two had to rely on their own animal instincts with their teeth for the ropes to loosen up. Finally Grace was no longer tied and was relieved to be moving about again where she could stretch out her aching body. With what Dan said earlier, now was still not the time to celebrate._

"_Come on this way," Dan pointed his head to the hallway as Sampson and Grace followed him all the way to the fireplace area. The only way in and out of this house was through the front door. Before they could make their way, Lewis stood there blocking the path with a few bird feathers scattered on his clothes. In his right hand, the iron bar was still burning red and sizzling. Somehow he had managed to pry all those birds away from him._

"_Just where'd you think you're goin' with my cow?" He gazed down at the animals with a crazed look in his eyes. "SHE'S MINE, I OWN HER!!" he aimed the hot iron at them, "…Now get outta the way or I'll roast all o' ya. Now as for you!" He finished as he was now moving forward holding the iron like a skewer with Grace backing away in fear until she was backed up against the wall. She shut her eyes tight fearing for the worst. "AAAAAAAWWWW!!!" _

_Grace opened one eye to see that Dan had taken a bite out of Lewis from behind before the brand reached an inch of her body. In his mind, he had been waiting for the right moment to lunge out at him when Lewis had least expected it._

"_Come on Grace!" Sampson called from the front doorway signaling for her. "Don't worry about Dan, he can handle himself."_

_Taking one last look at Dan keeping Lewis busy with his biting, Grace went over to Sampson and allowed him to hop aboard her head.**

* * *

**_

Outside

_Outside, Grace stared in bewilderment at the sight of the bandits being attacked by other forest critters other than the bluebirds. Raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits started clawing and biting as if they were defending their territory from a vicious predator. _

"_Come on Grace, go around the back of the cabin," Sampson whispered in her ear. "We'll hide out in the forest."_

_Grace obeyed without questioning his command. It would do no good for her to be in the way when something else were to come riding this way to take care of the bandits, in case one of them opened fire from their revolvers. And what sort of friend would Sampson be if he were to put her in that dangerous situation? This time, he would not let her down so easily._

"_Hurry, into the bushes!" Sampson pointed out to a thicket of berry bushes in which this case Grace pushed aside the small branches to hide deeper until she was certain that they were out of sight. There they stayed securely listening to the flapping of birds' wings and the chirping squeals from possibly the chipmunks and raccoons. The cabin was now fifteen feet away from where the two were hidden. What came next was the fierce howl of dogs barking. Somehow Dan and Tuck must be fighting amongst themselves in a duel. Grace hoped for Dan to win over that good for nothing Doberman in the end._

"_Bovine, where are you?" Grace watched Lewis step out from behind the cabin pushing his way through the flock of birds while waving the hot iron around. It didn't seem as red as it used to be, but it was still mighty hot, even for human hands to resist. "Come on out wherever yah are!" he was stepping forward to their area eyeing every corner for suspicious movement or echo. Lewis prowled about like a predator hunting its prey. Grace stood there petrified as sweat formed on her face. She dared not move an inch or utter a cry unless she wanted to get caught. "I know you're out here, I can hear ya breathin'!" he scowled. _

"_Grace whatever you do, don't move," Sampson warned. "Don't move or he'll surely hear us. Wait until he's gone, then we can come out."_

_Grace nodded her head at him nervously panting. Lewis peered over more bushes to the left side. He scowled and threw his arms in irritation to have found nothing behind there. She watched him move over to another bush to peek through. Then with a heavy sigh, he looked as if he was ready to give up and walk away. And of course, Lewis had disappeared behind the trees to the right side. For a long while, he did not bother to come bursting out._

"_Where did he go?" Grace whispered curiously, still eyeing the trees in case he did come out again. Nothing had happened over there, not even a rustle._

"_I don't know. But I wouldn't dare make a move outta here in case he might be waitin' for you. That's what it is alright. He's just pretendin' to give up easily so we'd be fooled into believin' that it's safe to come outta hidin'. Well that ain't gonna work this time, let's move out back."_

_Lowering herself, Grace crawled underneath the bushes and turned backwards to inch forward. She did not want to risk making noise from touching the branches. Tiny leaves fell across her hide and brushed her face as she kept a sharp lookout for any large shadow above or underneath. Then that would mean for her to stay put and wait for it to clear. So far, the two of them heard nothing. No footsteps or yelling threats. Where could that old rascal have gone off to? Whatever happened to him was not important. Grace paused the moment she heard footsteps approach. Please don't let him find me, she thought to herself worriedly. She waited until the footsteps passed behind her growing softer by the minute. Inching forward again, Grace listened carefully to every direction Sampson told her where to turn and urged her to not look back for a moment. If she did, she might have panicked enough to turn out of control for Sampson to handle._

"_Do you think he's gone?" Grace asked softly while still crawling._

"_I don't know," Sampson replied feeling unsure if her question was true. "But whatever you do, don't scream, move, or talk so loud. Only whisper, the woods are filled with unknown dangers even I don't know about."_

_Grace asked no more questions and allowed her tiny friend to help her move about steadily and stop at the sound of footsteps approaching. Since she had known him for quite a long while, she believed that orders given from a friend like him were for protection and safety. They were also similar to the orders of her foster mother in which there was no need or reason to disobey. Unlike the rules that came from Lewis; it was mainly his rules that she could not stand to listen to. During the times he had abused her, her pride suffered more deeply than the wounds spread across her hide. Every time she heard them, she wanted to run further away and hide where Lewis could never catch her. She and Sampson tried once and failed, only leading her to face the crack of the whip. It couldn't fail this time._

"_Don't hear nothin' right now," Sampson whispered as he stuck his left ear out in the air. "Not even a footstep." A small smile formed victoriously. "Seems we've finally outsmarted him for good. I doubt he'd want to come burstin' in here. But keep still."_

_Sampson was right, they may not be out of danger yet. All they heard were birds chattering miles away, and no footsteps. But that didn't mean Lewis wasn't out there. Better to be safe than sorry._

"_Come on out yah little brat wherever you are!" the angry voice of Lewis snarled from somewhere on the outside. "When I find out where yah are, I'm gonna pommel yah so hard, you'll be limpin' till the end o' your days." From outside the bush, Lewis's teeth were pulled up in a snarl as he glared suspiciously around the area. Sooner or later, he was going to give that disobedient calf the most painful whipping of her life when he got his hands on her._

_Grace shivered from hearing his threat outside. It was still not safe to come out of the bushes with him around. She placed her hooves over her mouth to prevent her teeth from chattering. The sound of footsteps passed her and grew distant. Sampson urged her to tread forward softly and not look back. Grace panted nervously but did as she was told._

_Suddenly, the bushes on her left rustled when Grace was about to make her getaway toward a new path. A hand poked through and seized her by the tail to drag her backwards, hard. Grace yelped in pain and fright before being seized by the scruff of her neck. This had caused Sampson to roll off unexpectedly. He whirled around and watched in terror as his friend was being pulled out from the bushes. How could that drunkard have known she was in here? _

"_GRACE!" Pushing aside the leaves from the branches, he saw that Lewis was holding her three feet off the ground at arms length._

"_Well, well, well, it seems the tables have finally turned on you eh?" he snarled pleasantly at his victim who was kicking wildly at him to escape. "You can kick and scream all yah want bovine, but it won't do you no good…" with the iron bar in his other hand, he pointed the hot sharp end close to her throat, "…you're mine till your dead!"_

_Grace gulped from feeling the blazing temperature an inch from touching her skin. Her heart skipped a beat just having to glare down at the pointed end. She moved her head back as far as she could to avoid being burnt. But Lewis only moved it closer than ever. Grace finally stopped kicking when she was trying very hard to hold back the tears already forming in her frightened eyes. Then with his right hand still holding her, Lewis moved her closer to him violently so that his dark, deep-set eyes gleaming with madness were glaring down on her._

"_If you don't wish to be marked on your hide…," then he pointed the hot iron to her chest, "…then maybe you'd rather have it close to your heart!" he gave her a quick, minor tap with the iron which caused Grace to shudder and cringe from having to know what it felt like. Beads of sweat appeared as her face turned pale. The moment it made contact, it made an ugly sound. Any longer and it would have made a life-long burn through her skin, or worse. Breathing heavily, Grace feared that her "owner" may be planning on wanting to use that iron for other matters other than marking her as property. Perhaps that small poke was given to her as a reminder to who was boss. "Yeah that's what I thought." His voice was menacing. Grace felt her pulse quicken. "You have disobeyed me for the last time. Now it's time to finish what I started." _

_Knowing what he was planning, Grace watched helplessly as he was once again preparing to brand her mercilessly. Her throat felt both tight and dry as her heart beat like a drum. She shut her eyes unable to watch. But all she felt was the same minor poke from when Lewis had threatened to pierce her heart. Grace flinched but opened her eyes to see that her "owner" had a look of fear in his eyes as the click of a revolver was now aiming directly toward him by none other than Sheriff Ned Jones!_

"_Alright you drop that iron!" he demanded, still pointing at the fugitive._

_Quickly, Lewis wrapped his arm tightly around Grace and forced her head backwards. "Back off, or I'll stick this thing in her heart!" he replied unsteadily, pretending not to be afraid. He was now pointing the iron to her throat tightly. This couldn't be happening to him. He would not allow himself to be convicted of past crimes he had committed with the Yeller Gang and for doing their work in secret. He just simply refused to let that happen._

_In the berry bushes, Sampson watched what Lewis was threatening to do to his friend and quivered with fury. Thinking quickly, he eyed Lewis's pants and knew exactly what to do. He scampered over without anyone noticing and crept up from the bottom opening. Whatever he was doing, it had caused Lewis to drop the bar, release Grace, and start tapping his pants repeatedly._

"_AHHH, SOMETHIN's CRAWLIN' UP MY PANTS!!" he hollered as he started running around like crazy in different directions. "GET IT OUT!!" This went on for several minutes until Lewis suddenly lost his balance enough to trip over a rock. Sampson popped out just in time before he fell down flat and made his way to Grace._

"_Give it up partner, you're under arrest!" Ned held the revolver to his forehead signaling for him to get up and march back to the cabin where the other lawmen waited with the gang under control. Grace followed behind Ned without fear.**

* * *

**_

**Author's note**: Last chapter is one the way. Although I might think about splitting it into two or three different parts; depending on how I long I want it to be with the characters saying goodbye to each other. I plan to make it a real tear-jerker as best as I can.


	22. Epilogue I

**Epilogue I**

"_Hold still now girl," Ned, who sat on a boulder was tending to the cuts and bruises over Grace's sore back with a cold washcloth. To see her in this condition was a real shock to him. It was a good thing that he and the others arrived in the nick of time before that drunken owner of her's had the chance to cause more severe bruises with the hot iron. That would have been beyond his help. "Of all the mindless, good-for-nothin' lawbreakers out there, I ain't ever seen a thing so unjustified." The tone in his voice was cool with fury but his touch remained gentle._

_Grace sat up straight in front of him as he trickled more cold water from the river over her back. With the way he was handling her and speaking angrily, it made her a bit uncomfortable, but it wasn't toward her at all. His real anger was directed toward the Yeller Gang and Lewis for hurting her so severely. With Sampson and Dan sitting beside Ned, Dan moved his head a bit closer to Grace._

"_Don't mind his tone," he assured her, "It's his job as a town sheriff to act tough. That's how we catch real bad men out there. But Ned's a good man, really. I look after him as a companion, just like Sampson has looked after you." Grace could only nod in appreciation. The least that he and Sampson could do at this moment was to stay beside and watch over her while Ned was still tending to her wounds. As much as she was glad to have been rescued in time, Grace thought sadly about her foster mother Orchid and little Juniper. If only she could see them one last time before leaving this forest._

_When Ned had finished cleaning with the washcloth, he placed it on another rock to move on to the next item. He searched his traveling bag and pulled out a medium-sized silver container filled with a special healing cream designed for cattle and horses. With the tips of his fingers, he spread it across the deep cuts over her neck and back. Grace flinched in pain but remained still. She moaned when the substance was felt behind her nape. The cuts there were afire._

"_I know it hurts, but settle down," Ned assured her, "I'm tryin' to be as gentle as I can. This is a remedy that's supposed to help heal serious wounds. You're lucky to still be alive all this time." His fingers moved down between her shoulders to apply a bit more cream. Grace started to tremble slightly. "Easy now girl, no one's tryin' to hurt yah." He said gently, attempting to ease her fear. "In fact, no one's ever gonna hurt yah like this again. I'll be glad to take you in until I can find someone else who'll take care o' you." In his heart, he had hoped there would be someone out there who would want to raise Grace properly with kindness and love. He couldn't give her to just anybody, not even to a cattle ranch or a stockyard._

_Grace looked down at Sampson blankly. "How did you know where to find me?" she asked unsteadily as Ned applied the cream to another cut._

"_A bluebird named Honey fluttered by to inform us of five suspicious black riders hidin' out in an abandoned cabin somewhere below," Sampson began. "But she also told us about how she helped you get away from them, even though you were recaptured. It was a good thing she found us; we were almost headin' toward the wrong path in this never endin' forest. Of course, that was when Dan picked up the scent of chimney smoke from a mile away. At first we thought it might have been a forest fire, but the smoke was only an inch thick as it rose straight into the air. Any one o' us could tell that it was comin' from a house. Was it the Yeller Gang? Investigation was the only smart option to do."_

"_Well, there are some things out there that even my sense of smell cannot track down," Dan admitted. "But I won't let that stop me from doin' what I have to do on the job. Your friend here has done the right thing by warnin' me about those rascals, even though I didn't believe him at first."_

"_But what about the rest of the forest animals, how did they all know where I was?" Grace was still curious to know about how an army of forest critters formed so quickly and were able to take down the Yeller Gang._

"_It was Honey who had formed search groups to know of your whereabouts so that she'd be able to inform the deer family that you were alive," answered Sampson. "But when Honey found out about the bandits holdin' you captive once again, she flew off in search for more help. Remember, the chimney smoke is what led us to find yah."_

"_Where is she now?"_

"_Hmmm, I believe she told us that there was another errand she had to take care of, so I don't know if she'll be back or not."_

_Grace was silent. There were other questions swimming around her mind about the manhunt, but perhaps it was best for her not to ask any more of them. While it was true that she had suffered from physical abuse and loneliness during captivity, her new friends in this forest had helped to keep her spirits alive. And she never gave up on hope of being rescued from her cruel owner whom she never would have expected to be a dangerous outlaw all along. Then Grace whimpered when Ned spread more of the healing cream down to the middle of her back where the whip cuts proved to be deeper than she thought. The cream stung._

"_Oops, sorry girl, just be still," Ned placed his hand over her shoulder to calm her. Grace shut her eyes tight from feeling him tend to another deep wound. She hated having the cream touch her, but remembered what Ned said about the purpose about what it was made for. So she sat patiently without complaint. Dipping his fingers in the container for more, he applied it to the next wound below. Even though it stung, Grace had to learn to get used to it if she ever wanted her opened scars to close up. "Well that's all the cream you'll need, now just one more thing and we're done. Where is that stuff?" Grace heard him close the silver container as he put it back in his bag and was now searching for one last item. She hoped it wouldn't have to be another substance similar to the cream. "Hold still for a few minutes, I need to wrap this around your stomach." Glancing over her shoulder, Ned started wrapping a long white bandage around her stomach to prevent the cream on her wounds from getting dirty. "This is the best I can do for now," he said as he wrapped more of the bandage over her right shoulder and under her chest. "When we get back to town, I'm gonna have a doctor look over you so that he'll take care a the rest o' your wounds." He was now finished with the bandage._

_Grace walked over to the river to have a look at her reflection. She was taken aback by seeing at how the bandage was wrapped around her body. Did she really receive that many cuts and bruises for her body to be bandaged like this? It was almost hard for her to believe it. But it was there alright, even if she couldn't see them._

"_Hey sheriff!" one of the deputies called out to Ned high above the hill in the cabin area. "Are we ready?"_

"_I'll be right there!" Ned answered. He watched as Grace drank water from the flowing river. The poor thing shouldn't have had to suffer through so much lately, yet he had often heard rumors of outlaws who did all sorts of terrible things to their victims once they are captured. Grace was no exception._

"_Come on girl, let's go," Ned patted his thigh repeatedly to get her attention. Grace turned around and followed closely behind him for protection in case anything was to happen. Dan walked beside her with Sampson riding atop his back._

* * *

On the trail outside Silent Creek

_At the time the lawmen arrived at the cabin area, the forest critters left the scene knowing that they brought the bandits down long enough to keep them from getting away. Whatever happened to them would be left for the authorities to handle. Their job with the rescue mission was over. Now the lawmen were forcing the bandits to move the same trail they used to enter through this forest. Their hands were tied securely behind their backs and their guns were taken from them. Sheriff Jones led the way as the deputies kept a sharp eye on the bandits in case one of them tried sneaking off. Their plan was to get to the nearest train station and ride back to Ned's home town to inform the townspeople of the capture of the Yeller Gang so that they'll have no other reason to flee. Hopefully the town wasn't empty by the time they arrived. They had already come too far to catch these crooks. After so many months of tracking them, they were finally caught._

_Grace caught a good glimpse of the green grassy hills littered with exquisite wild flowers. Were these the same fields where she had played games with Juniper and the other animals? Then where were Orchid and Juniper at this time? She still desired to see them to let them know she was alright. But part of her wanted to stay in this forest where she might already have a mother to look after her. While she was walking beside Ned as the group kept moving forward, her eyes searched every corner of the hills for any sign of the deer family._

"_Momma?" Grace perked her head up to stare directly toward a familiar figure standing on four long legs and another small figure on a grassy hill. It was her family. She was so excited that she took off like a speeding bullet. "Momma!" The little calf shouted as she kept on moving._

"_Huh, where're you goin'?" Ned called out. He and the men moved faster to see what had caused her to run like that. But when they found her on a hill with a mule deer and its fawn, he ordered his men to wait a few minutes before moving out. None of them understood what was happening with Grace or why she sprinted this way to see a bunch of deer, but nobody tried to argue with that. Even Ned didn't understand, but they waited anyway._

"_Oh, Grace," Orchid said as she looked closely at her bandages. "You poor dear." Then she leaned her head down to lick Grace lovingly from the side of her face to the top of her head. She was relieved to see the little calf alive and well, despite the bandages. "Honey told me everything that happened. And now the riders have finally come to take you home with them." She stared at the riders closely and remembered the promise she made to Grace on the first day that Honey brought her over. "Grace, I've already given my word to you. And now it's time for you to leave this place."_

"_What?" Grace looked up at her foster mother as if she had been struck by lightening. "But I love bein' with you, you're like a mother to me."_

"_I know sweetie," Orchid added softly, "I'm proud of you and I'll always love you. But you must go back with the riders. They came all this way for you, and I can't just break my promise like that." Grace listened sadly as Orchid licked her forehead and continued. "Besides, the forest is not a safe place for you to grow up. You deserve a good home and a loving family on a farm. Even if we're not there, we'll never leave or forget you." The calf's eyes were now welling up with tears. Orchid saw them and nuzzled beside her face. "Oh, please don't take it like that. You're going to be alright now. And whatever happens, I'll always be with you. And don't ever change the way you are." Grace felt a lump growing in her throat. Now she knew she had no other choice but to accept Orchid's word._

"_Momma, does she really have to go?" Juniper asked with a saddened expression. She didn't want Grace to go and leave them._

"_I'm afraid so Juniper," Orchid replied sadly. "Someone else may be waiting for her to come." She allowed Juniper to nuzzle at Grace's face one last time. This was something the little fawn didn't fully understand yet, but could only do as Orchid told her._

"_Remember what I said," Orchid whispered. "Go on, they're waiting." Giving Grace a nudge with her nose, Grace walked back to where the riders were still standing on the path. Ned told them to move out again._

_Grace took one last look behind her shoulder to see Orchid and Juniper standing on the hillside of wildflowers. She would miss them, but they would never forget her, nor would she forget how Orchid had taught her how to swim in the river. And she had been able to run at a fast speed and such. Maybe her athletic skills would come in handy someday whether for old or new friends. From far away, Grace never got to see or hear Juniper give a sad farewell to her. She was out of earshot._

_When Ned had seen Grace interact with those deer, he reckoned that she must have somehow made friends behind the bandits' backs and was only saying goodbye to them. He didn't truly know, but that was his only guess. When he was young, he had seen how cows formed close friendships with members of their herd and how strong the relationship between the mothers and their calves were with love and caring. Grace was an orphan who was either taken from her real mother a bit too early or just simply lost her. Life with a crazy drunkard like Lewis Wesley must have made her feel confused, scared, alone and wary of human contact. He was determined that she would never have to live with anyone like him ever again. Although he would have hated to take Grace from her forest friends, he knew that life in the wilderness was no place for a dairy cow._

"_Boy I can't believe how well yah fought with that wretched excuse for a loyal dog back there," Sampson said in disbelief to Dan. He had been referring to the dogfight, wrestling match back at the cabin. "He went down almost too easily."_

"_He was a strong dog alright," replied Dan. "But I just couldn't stand how he was talkin' bout keepin' disobedient calves in line. So I think leavin' him chokin' in my dust taught him a thing or two."_

"_That's exactly what I tried to tell him. But all he did was laugh."_

_As Sampson looked up at Grace, his face formed into a saddened frown. During the manhunt, he and Dan had been talking over something that Grace might not want to hear. How was he going to tell her? How would he explain that he would no longer be with her when she found a home?_

**_

* * *

_**

**Author's note**: That's part one alright; part two is one the way folks. Next we'll have Grace recovering from all that has happened. And there will be another sad goodbye as a perfect home has been found for her.


	23. Epilogue II

**Epilogue II**

_The hours on the train back to Ned's home town were not as bad as before. Grace had to ride in the stock cart again since the rules required that all animals be placed in stock carts. She didn't like being alone in a dark area, but she entered inside anyway. This time there was nothing more to fear now that she was out of danger. Of course, it was Sampson that decided to stay with her in the stock cart so that she would feel less lonely and would have someone to talk to. The light from the afternoon sun shone through the open windows beautifully. It wasn't as dark last time she was here. This felt more like a sign of freedom. Honey was there as well. She wanted to travel with the others to town and stay with Grace until her wounds healed. Then after that, it would be time for her to take the next train back home to the forest. _

_Instead of being scared and confused, Grace felt a little more cheerful when she and Sampson listened as Honey told them tall tales of cowboys and Indians from long ago that settled the old west. With the few tales she knew, they had provided great fun and education for the two listeners to learn about imminent dangers such as tornadoes, floods, stampedes, Indian battles, cattle rustlers, town riots, and gun fights. When Sampson had asked how she knew of all this, she could only say that stories of old and new are passed over from generation to generation. However she knew about it, he practically enjoyed listening to them anyway, especially Grace. Stories were always great entertainment._

"_So then Eagle Eye fires his arrow straight at the herd o' runnin' buffalo like this," Honey demonstrated how this technique was done by making a bow and arrow signal with her wings. She had been telling a story about how a Comanche warrior came to be known. _

"_Then what happened?" Sampson asked._

"_Then in a matter of seconds, the buffalo went down," Honey continued. "Then he was honored by his people for how great a hunter he had become."_

"_Why'd he do that?" Grace asked in curiosity._

"_What?" Honey perked her head up at that question._

"_Why'd he aim that thing at an animal that was runnin' for his life?" Grace didn't mean to sound disrespectful or negative, but somehow the hunting part made her feel a bit disturbed._

"_Why sugar," Honey laughed lightheartedly. "That's how all tribes made their livin' since the earlier days. Huntin' for food was part o' their cultural way of life. But unlike the hunters you see today that do it for sport; it was a matter o' survival and tradition. Besides I heard that they often respected the animals they hunted before givin' themselves to the tribe." For some reason, Honey felt like she should have told a different story that's not about hunting._

"_What else did they hunt?"_

"_Well let me think," Honey muttered gathering what she remembered in her memory banks. "Salmon, elk, antelope, pronghorns, buffalo as I've just mentioned, but meat wasn't their only diet you know. Sometimes they'd eat nuts and berries that grew in the mountains, or wild plants that grew in the desert."_

"_Are they friendly folks?"_

"_Well sugar, I still don't know much about Indian tribes, but I do know that they had respected this land long before the men with pale faces changed all that which I won't explain how. The names of tribes throughout the west are today known as Cheyenne, Cherokee, Sioux, Shawnee, Lakota, Comanche, Apache, Creek, Algonquin, Pawnee and Seminole as far as I have heard. But I must warn yah though…" Honey's face turned to a warning glare with an urgent tone in her voice, "…although some of these tribes have lent a helpin' hand, there are those who are known to be just as dangerous and crafty as the outlaw gang we fought. I heard some o' them had attacked camps to steal animals durin' the dead of night. Sometimes they'd even capture women and children to carry them far away to wherever their village may be. They are called raiders." _

_Grace gulped as she imagined being in a campfire place where it was in danger of being attacked by Indian raiders that might be out to steal animals like her._

"_But how did they attack?" Grace stuttered._

"_Indian raiders sometimes carried knives, hatchets, spears, a bow and arrow, even guns," Honey answered as she demonstrated how the attack was done by crawling on the floor and pretending to shoot with an imaginary weapon. She made a shooting sound through her beak. "Then the entire camp goes cryin' out in a panic as arrows hiss through the air; enough to give the raiders the perfect timin' to capture as many herds of animals as they can."_

"_Did any of this ever happen in towns?" Grace asked unsteadily._

"_Not that I know of," Honey admitted. "They usually occur out in the deserts and prairies where wagon trains make their spots. But I wouldn't worry bout it though. Towns are too-well protected to provide a perfect raid for them. Most folks refer to them as redskins." _

_It was true that Honey didn't know too much about Indian raiders likely to run through towns before. If that happened, then the Wild West was sure an untamed land nowadays. Better not to mention that to Grace at this moment. Let the young calf find out for herself when she was old enough._

"_Wow that was some story!" Sampson exclaimed with a lot of excitement in his voice. "I'd sure wouldn't want to miss out on the fun by not bein' there."_

"_But why is that so fun?" Grace turned to her mouse companion after hearing enough about the description of a raid._

"_I don't mean fun as in the violent kind o' way, I mean the chances o' trackin' down a gang o' rustlers or raiders to teach them a lesson is the real fun," Sampson replied. "Life just ain't no fun without the action or adventure. Just like the one we had in searchin' for yah. Yah know what I mean don't yah?"_

_Grace thought for a moment as she remembered how much she had been eager to escape from that dark dirty shack for so long and to see what lay beyond. She felt like a trapped prisoner under Lewis's command. The only chances for her to look outside were through a few holes in the walls. Even Sampson agreed that it was no life for her to feel trapped and lonely in such a place. And she did get a taste of the outside world for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Yet part of it did seem exciting to find out what an adventure was all about._

"_Yes, I do," she finally answered truthfully with a small smile. "But I think I had enough adventures for now."_

_The three friends all laughed cheerfully together. What she said was true. While some adventures can be fun, wild, and full of new experiences, they can also be dangerous and life-threatening when one does not watch their step. Who could blame Grace?**

* * *

**_

Sometime later

_During the days that followed, Grace was taken to the nearest doctor's office each morning where she needed to be treated for her cuts and bruises. There she was given a different kind of healing ointment that worked well enough for the stinging pain to fade away and for the scars to close up. She was well behaved and didn't holler when the substance was spread over where the rawhide whip had cut between her shoulders. Sadly though, some of the cuts had been so deep that they refused to heal properly which meant she might have them on her for the rest of her life. But even if that were the case, the doctor told Ned it may be possible that the hairs on her hide would prevent the scars from being seen as she grew older. And if they were seen, it would be left as the exact same color like a burn mark. The other instructions he gave were for Grace to be fed the proper nutrients from a milk bottle and enough hay at home so that she would be healthy again in no time. Ned had thanked the doctor for doing everything he could to help Grace get well. At his home, Grace was able to run and skip about in the back fenced area with Sampson and Honey singing a folk song. Wondering how she learned to sing so badly, Honey had questioned Sampson about what happened before until he admitted that he was only trying to help Grace through her bad feelings by singing a song of pure joy. He of course was a bad singer as well and his cow friend truly thought that's what singing really was. But neither of them wanted to spoil her sense of excitement or hurt her feelings by saying how awful she sounded, so they kept it to themselves and joined in on the fun. The crows that had taunted Grace before with their jeering flew by once and were driven off by an army of gophers and prairie dogs from the ground who threw dirt in their faces. Even Grace's high singing tone shattered the daylights out of them. The sly crows never returned again after that._

_As for the bad men, the gang had been tried in the court room for grand theft, robbery, cattle rustling, and causing a ruckus in town by opening fire throughout a crowded street. Some of the items that were stolen had been taken to the sheriff's office in case someone else in town was to come looking for a lost necklace, ring, or bracelet. The same woman from the bank on the day of the robbery was relieved to find that her wedding ring was there and had taken it back home with her. The Yeller gang had been sentenced to spend the next twenty years at a prison located somewhere in the Lone Star state of Texas. Lewis of course had been faced with charges of failure to notify the authorities of the gangs' whereabouts and threatening the sheriff with a pistol back at his home. With the WANTED posters and the diamond bracelet as the only evidence against him, somehow he had finally confessed that he was a boozehound who drank too much, had been beating on his calf severely when she would not obey him, and kept the bandits' hideout a secret since he had once been a member who was only doing them a favor. Scar Face Sam had cursed at Lewis when he accidentally blurted out their plot to flee to the most forgotten town where only outlaws were welcome. That confession was laughed at as the courtroom believed it was nothing more than a common joke since no such place has ever been known to exist. Lewis had also received the same twenty year sentence at the prison in Texas. And however he behaved at that place would be up to the authorities there to take care of it. If the jailhouse wasn't enough for him, then there was always the mental institution in the outskirts of Alabama. Tuck on the other hand, followed his masters' as they were led away on the train to the prison house because he never wanted to be without them. The mystery of outlaw country was yet to be determined or investigated. _

_One day, Ned was sitting at his desk at the office looking at a few advertisements in the paper to see if there was an appropriate kind of home for Grace. Most of them were from home settlements, oil companies, structures, and book shops, horse riding contests, Wild West shows, and meat markets. Then he turned to the ads from dairy farms and cattle ranches where they raised beef cattle for market; definitely not the right place for the orphan calf to…_

"_Huh, now what's this?" Ned's eyes caught something interesting on the last page at the bottom left. "Lookin' to find the right environment for a homeless cow, pig, goat, hen, or sheep?" he read, "Then Little Patch of Heaven farm is the perfect place for them to be. Here is where we provide lifelong care for as many lost or abandoned farm animals to spend the remainder o' their life with nourishin' food, spacious, and acres o' green, sunny pastures to roam about. Come on over and see it why don'tcha. Ain't nothin' much out here but life at its best. What better way for them to spend the day on a tiny half-an-acre of paradise? This message is brought to you by Pearl Gesner, owner and kindly mother o' the Patch of Heaven farm where there is always room for more."_

"_Hmm interestin'," Ned muttered, scratching his chin. "I often heard the myth of a haven for outlaws, but a sanctuary for farm animals is one I ain't ever heard of. Then again, I haven't been plannin' on sellin' her to just anybody and I do want what's best for her. So I think I may have already found her a home." With a pair of scissors, he cut out the ad in the newspaper, folded it and placed it in his vest pocket. He never heard of or met this Pearl Gesner person mentioned in the paper, but her name sounded similar to someone who would take in a starving animal or child from the shivering cold. "Whoever this Pearl is, I'm sure she'd be willin' to wanna adopt the orphan calf. But maybe I should give her a name first." He stopped pacing around the office and crossed his arms knowing that names were important when introducing oneself. "Let me think now…hmm Goldie, Gina, Gretel, Gene, Glory, Gloria…Grace, Grace, that's her name. I like it better than all the other ones. Wait till I tell her the good news."**

* * *

**_

At Ned's home

_That night, Grace was delighted to hear the good news of what Ned told her. Yet she was also surprised when he insisted that she should have a name by the time they reached this small dairy farm. He wanted to give her own name that she had always been called. But that didn't matter at the least. Her other two friends, Sampson and Honey were happy for her as well. But there was still something else for Sampson to say. With a little encouragement from the blubird, he cleared his throat and explained all._

"_He's asked you to be his partner?" Grace couldn't make sense of what she heard from Sampson as he told her about the agreement he made to Dan before the rescue._

"_Yes, and I accepted," Sampson admitted, "Yah see there were certain places that only I could reach when we searched for clues o' your whereabouts. I know yah don't wanna hear this but look at it this way, you're no longer livin' with that old loon, you're here safe and sound, and right now you're goin' to a new home. I'd go with yah if I could, but I'm still searchin' for my lost family."_

"_I left my momma back in the forest, and now you're not comin'," the calf's voice trembled with disbelief._

_Sampson moved closer and put his hands on her right ankle. "Please Grace, try to understand. I'm not sayin' I don't wanna be your friend no more. Yah know I won't ever stop carin' bout yah. And Dan wanted to make up for not believin' me at first bout Lewis and the bandits' hideout. We all went through a lot o' difficult situations to find and save yah. Now the bad men are already on their way to jail to serve their long-term sentence. So there is no need for yah to worry about bein' mistreated, poked, or yelled at anymore."_

"_I'll miss not havin' you around," Grace confessed as her voice trembled._

"_Listen, even if we're not together no more, our friendship with each other will never be parted or forgotten. We'll always be friends, no matter where we are. Besides, there might be other calves or baby farm animals like you who are in the same trouble as you were. They might be waitin' for someone to help them out. That's why I accepted Dan's offer. It's not just about findin' my family; it's about helpin' others in need. That's what the law is all about. Don't yah understand now?"_

_Grace wiped her eyes when she felt tears form in them. "I do," she muttered, feeling unsure of this conversation. She didn't understand herself sometimes. She should feel happy that Ned took her in and had finally found the perfect home for her. Yet her tiny companion was choosing to stay behind in this town. It was nothing against her at all; this was for the best. Her feelings remained twisted inside like a cord. What else was there for her to say? Then Honey stepped in for Sampson._

"_There ain't nothin' more to be upset about sugar," she encouraged. "You're goin' to be livin' on a safe haven. We'll never forget bout you. It might be sad, but this is life. And time has a way o' changin' things once in a while, but don't let that stop yah from enjoyin' all the happiness yah might find over there." _

_Grace nodded, knowing that the bluebird was probably right about what she said. This was exactly the same lesson Sampson taught her about the blossom blooming in the sunshine. She didn't want Sampson to stay behind, but another feeling inside was somehow saying that she should respect his decision to stay behind and the desire to help others out there who need it as she once did._

"_I have to take the next train back to the forest tomorrow," Honey maintained softly. I'd fly there if I could but only vultures can stand the smolderin' desert heat. But Sampson said he would ride with you on your way there to bid you farewell. I'll be happy to tell Orchid and Juniper bout what happened, that way they'll know more."_

"_I would like that," Grace insisted. "She did take care of me. I do miss her, but I won't cry anymore."_

"_That's the spirit now sugar," Honey clasped her wing tips together proudly. She was glad to hear Grace speak up without shedding a single tear. "That's what we all want for yah; to be strong." Then she and Sampson walked with Grace to the pile of warm hay where she would be sleeping for the remainder of the night. As she lay there, she was feeling much better about having this all talked out and especially what they said about never truly leaving her. Their love and friendship for her would never fade. With everything settled about this conversation and the new home planned for her, she was able to drift off to sleep. Sampson rested himself against her rib and Honey kissed her goodnight on the cheek._

"_Sleep well sugar," she whispered lovingly. "Tomorrow is a new day for yah." Grace wished her and Sampson good night and closed her eyes, heavy with sleep to dream of a new beginning for her. The beginning of a new home with possibly new friends to meet. She did not open her eyes until the morning dawned.**

* * *

**_

**Author's note**: Last chapter and epilogue are on the way. It has been wonderful working on this story. Inspiration for it came from when I suffered from loneliness and feeling like an outcast during the year of 2004.


	24. Epilogue III

**Epilogue III**

_"Wake up dear, it's time to go," Grace stirred as Ned gently shook her awake. "The train will be arrivin' in bout an hour, we need to be there or it'll be too late." _

_Grace sat bolt upright to see that the morning had come. The birds were singing a happy song as the bright sun shined down upon her to leave her walking out and lifting her face into it. She felt good and wonderfully alive. Ned chuckled as he watched her skip around the backyard in excitement. She seemed as if she was ready for this trip. _

_"Well glad to see that you're up and rarin' to go," Ned said with a proud smile. "Now come on, we better get a move on." He signaled her with his hand to come through the back door and out the front. Grace followed him without any fear or worry of what else might lay ahead in the future for her. Time did have a way of changing things as Honey reminded her yesterday, but she wasn't the least bit worried. Dan, Sampson, and Honey were already waiting out in front. To them, it was always nice to see her smiling instead of crying.**

* * *

**_

_The train ride to where the Patch of Heaven farm was located had taken no less than three hours to reach. Honey stayed behind in the stock car waving goodbye and good luck to Grace as she walked further away into the distance with Ned, Dan, and Sampson. For her sake, the bluebird wished her dearest friend to live the remainder of her life with a caring and loving family. Like Juniper, she almost hated to see Grace leave but that was not for her to decide. The time had come to let her go. The door slid closed again as the train was now preparing to move out to reach the next destination._

_Although Grace had been happy to finally be free of Lewis, she also felt a bit nervous about her being placed in the care of a stranger she had never met before. She had been shy around Ned when she first saw him before Lewis had a chance to whip her again. So often she wondered what would happen if Sampson never met up with her, but she'd never ask. If it weren't for his cleverness to report Lewis, Grace might have been locked away in that awful shack or possibly a locked up barn filled with other frightened animals if the bandits' plan had succeeded in riding away to outlaw town. She'd be forced to work with Lewis feeding her leftover scraps from his meals for the rest of her miserable life. And every time she thought of him preparing to mark her with that hot iron, her stomach churned. _

_"Well I'm guessin' this must be Chugwater_ _Town," Ned muttered as they were now strolling through a boomtown of passing citizens. Around them, the town contained at least a barber shop, bank, and post office, hotel, a blacksmith stable, general store, photography studio, land claims office, doctor's office, city hall, a boot shop, Annie's Saloon, and the sheriff's office. "Hmm, maybe we outta pay the sheriff of this town a visit. He might know the way to Patch of Heaven." It was worth a try. _

_On the porch, there sat a short round man leaning back against the wall in his chair. He appeared to be taking a nap. Beside him sat a short basset hound that was also asleep. Ned stepped onto the porch slowly; he hated to interrupt the sheriff during his sleep but his question was more important. _

_Clearing his throat, he tapped him on the shoulder timidly, "Ahem, excuse me." _

_Startled, the plump man woke up as if he had forgotten something. "Whoa, what, where…oh…" he turned to face Ned without remembering that he had fallen asleep on the job. "Well howdy there, how can I help yah?" he asked as he sat up and dusted himself. His dog snorted before he woke up and spotted the newcomers. _

_"Sorry to interrupt your sleep there but…" _

_"Nah, don't worry bout it," the man interrupted. "I'm glad yah did since I'm supposed to be mindin' the job here in Chugwater." Noticing Grace standing behind Ned's legs, he asked. "Say, who's your little friend there?" when he took a step closer, Grace hid her face protectively. _

_"Oh right, I almost forgot; I was wonderin' if you by any chance could tell me how to get to this here farm called Patch of Heaven?" Ned took the ad out of his pocket unfolded it and showed it to the man. _

_"Patch of Heaven? Heck, I've been there plenty o' times," he answered with a cheerful laugh. "_ _Pearl Gesner is an ol' friend o' mine and she likes to take care o' them farm animals as if they were her own children. Don't know why, but I can respect that. Is that why yah got a calf hidin' behind your legs?" he pointed to Ned's knees where Grace was still covering herself. _

_"She's a bit shy around new faces," Ned informed him without noticing the basset hound come up and check her out. "Love to keep her with me, but I haven't got the time. So I thought a new home might be best. Could you tell me the way?" _

_"Sure, it's up over there," he pointed to the narrow dusty trail leading out of town and up the green hills. "Just follow the trail straight ahead and you'll find the place. I'm Sheriff Sam Brown by the way." He offered his hand out for him. "And that's my horse, Buck." A large brown horse stood under a mound of grass snacking away. _

_"Ned Jones," the two shook hands. "Anything unusual been happenin' in this town lately?" _

_"Well nothin' in particular cept'…Rusty get over here! Haven't heard nothin' cept' the rumor of a yodelin' cattle rustler responsible for the loss of one ranch after another. Can you believe it?" _

_"A yodeler?" Ned's eyes widened at that and then jokingly asked. "Now how would a yodeler wanna steal cattle with his singin'?" _

_"Don't know," answered Sam. "Rumor states that one rancher witnessed a figure lurin' his cattle away while he sang a yodelin' number. So far we haven't found a clue o' the sort." _

_"When did you hear bout this?" _

_"About a week ago I believe. I'll have to inform my men to keep their eyes open. It might just be rumor now, but the law is the law." _

_The two men were suddenly interrupted by a crash coming from inside the saloon. A blond woman in a red dress appeared to be pushing a skinny cowpoke out through the front entrance. "STAY OUT AND DON'T COME BACK YOU TWO TIMIN' SIDEWINDER!!" she shouted furiously shaking her fist at the cowpoke running off into the street. Sampson, Dan, and Grace were also taken aback by what they viewed. _

_"Who's that?" Ned asked Sam, still staring at her. _

_"Oh don't you mind her; that's just Annie the saloon manager," replied Sam. "Stuff like that always happens in that place." _

_"Well I better get goin' now, it was nice meetin' you," Ned waved goodbye and headed toward the hill to find the farm with the others following close behind. Then he stopped short and turned around. "And thanks for pointin' out the way for me!" _

_"Anytime now!" Sam called out waving. "You're always welcome here anytime yah like." He watched as Ned kept going and going as if he were determined to get the orphan calf way from danger as fast as possible. He should be thankful for picking the right place for Grace to live at. This town is a dangerous place for her to be.**

* * *

**_

At the front gate 

_"Aw, she sure is purty," an elderly woman kneeled down beside a shy Grace to pet her hide soothingly. "Where'd she come from?" Already she was overwhelmed not only by the calf's prettiness, but by the sweet innocence behind her eyes. Ned was astonished himself to see Pearl Gesner handle Grace kindly without having to be so rough. _

_"I found her abandoned on the trail with no mother or anyone else to take care o' her. Couldn't stand to see her alone, so I had to bring her here," Ned answered quickly. Unable to tell her the truth about how Grace was badly mistreated, beaten, and whipped across her back, he thought it would be too shocking for a woman like Pearl to hear. Some things were just better left unsaid or unknown for many good reasons. Of course, the woman didn't even bother to look under Grace's hide as she kept soothing it downward. Her scars were well covered up by the hairs that grew in since her rescue. _

_"Well now why would anyone wanna abandon a poor calf out in the middle o' nowhere?" Pearl asked pitifully. Grace was feeling too charmed to be paying attention to what Ned had said. _

_"Beats me, but she can awfully be shy round strangers and easily spooked by the loudest noises." _

_"Oh well I ain't worried bout that one bit," she assured. "She'll be safe on this farm with me from now on. I'd be more than happy to take her in. In fact, Patch of Heaven is a safe haven to all the homeless animals that come to live here. There's never too many to care for. And it's better than havin' them wander round with no place else to go. Thanks for savin' and bringin' her here; didn't think no one else would ever answer my ad." _

_Pearl handed Ned some papers to sign over and give back to her. The papers stated that Pearl now owned Grace. Well maybe not own, but would be her new guardian. Ned went over to Grace to tell her to mind her new mother and be a good girl. Dan stood by so that Sampson would see her one last time and say goodbye. Reminding her not to be sad about their departure, Grace could only wish him good luck and hope that he would find his lost family someday. She didn't feel as sad as she did before because she swore to her old friends that she wouldn't cry anymore. Now that everything here was settled, Pearl and Grace watched as Ned walked back down the dusty trail with Dan until their figures grew smaller and smaller. They were gone forever and there was no stopping them. But even if Ned would miss not caring for Grace, he would always have Dan with him for companionship. _

_"Come on inside now girl," said Pearl, pushing the gate aside. "It's too nice to be standin' out in this spot by yourself." _

_Grace allowed Pearl to lead her through the farm. Inside there were green trees with shining red apples hanging above; enough to satisfy her taste buds. A nice splendid house sat in the center of the farm. Grace guessed that must have been Pearl's cozy home. There was a butter churn, a trough, a huge pile of golden hay, and an enormous windmill. The landscape here was a lot different from what she had seen on any other ranch. There looked to be a garden of strange plants she had never seen sticking from the soil. Looking around closer, she noticed two animals sprinting about in a pen and rolling over in a mud hole. They were pink, chubby, their noses were upturned, their ears were black and their tails were curly. _

_"That's Ollie and Molly," Pearl pointed out to them. "They were the first and only pigs to arrive on this farm." That's what they were called, pigs. Then she passed through what appeared to be a tiny pen with chirping noises coming from inside. Around the pen were these strange birds in brown and red feathers and tiny yellow ones. "That's the chicken coop. I'm sure you'll be gettin' along fine with your new feathered friends." Chickens, what a strange name to call a flock of birds. "And that over there is Jeb the goat." A short grey animal with a long face, long black horns and cloven feet sat inside a huge barrel with a mountain of silver cans piled next to him. Right now he was rearranging some cans that were spilled with a grumpy expression on his face. Grace hoped he would like her soon. Next she was introduced to a duck named Larry, a chicken named Audrey and a rooster on the rooftop. "Now where is Mrs. C?" _

_That last question was answered when Grace saw a small four legged animal walk out of a den yawning as if she had woken up from a nap. To Grace's surprise, she was another young calf. She was rather short with her hide black all over with a grey stomach. The only unusual thing about her was that she wore a purple hat with a yellow flower hanging out. With half opened eyes, she noticed Grace as the newcomer being led by Pearl and walked over to check her out. At first Grace took a step back every time she got close to her face but soon realized that this calf only wanted to know her. With no small companion to help her out in this situation, it was now time for her to make her own kind of judgments. No one spat or cursed at her when she strolled by and she wasn't handled roughly upon arriving. She figured that she was going to like it here after all. _

_"Oh Mrs. Calloway, were you in there sleepin' again as always?" Pearl teased with her hands on her hips. She whirled around to face the rest of the farm animals. "Everyone, please come and welcome our newest member o' the family, Grace!" she announced. Soon all the pigs, chickens, including Jeb came up to have a closer look at what the newcomer was like. Nervous, Grace hid behind Pearl protectively. "Don't be shy now; come out so everyone can see you." She spoke gently. _

_Poking her head out, Grace moved in front as she remembered that she was to mind what her new mother tells her. To be around new faces whether they were of human or animal was something she was going to have to get used to on this place. If she wanted everyone to like her, Grace vowed that she was going to make the best of things as soon as possible. So far, the animals treated her nicely with a friendly greeting instead of harsh words. All Jeb did was say "hi" and then walked off. Ollie told Grace not to mind Jeb as he always behaved like that to everyone on the farm. That didn't offend her as it should have, but she believed Jeb might change his mind about her in time. There were more important things to think about. _

_"I have a few carrot seeds to plant in the soil now, so I'll be leavin' you here to get acquainted with the rest o' the family," Pearl patted Grace softly on the head before going into her house. _

_"So are you happy to be here?" asked the calf whom Pearl referred to as Mrs. Calloway. She had spoken in a different kind of accent from how everyone else around her had talked. _

_"I think so," replied Grace. "But it's only been a while now so I don't really know." _

_"Not to worry," she added. "Everything will be fine. In fact, I was nervous myself on my first day. But now I'm happy to be here and you will too. I'm from a place called Great Britain, land of good manners. And you…?" _

_"I don't remember," Grace replied with her face blushing. _

_"Hmm, I never met anyone who never knew where she truly came from. But I guess that doesn't matter. Since you're new here, I'll be glad to teach you everything there is to know on this farm since I'm the oldest." _

_"The oldest?" Grace was puzzled. _

_"I'm thirteen months old to tell you the truth. Others thought I was only two or three which was sort of a nuisance. How old are you?" _

_"Three months," answered Grace. "But how did you get here?" _

_"I don't remember. Time passes so quickly. All I do know is that my own mother did not have enough nutrients to feed or nurse me and the master declaring that I was to be sold to someone else. Then along came Pearl who saw me and brought me here during a stroll in town." _

_To hear something mentioned about a mother almost broke Grace's heart as she couldn't remember her own. "But you're happy here anyway, right?" _

_"Of course, what's done is done. So there is no need for me to dwell on past experiences now that I already have a family here on Patch of Heaven. Wherever you're from, forget about it. We're all family now. I promise you'll like it here." _

_"Really?" a smile spread across Grace's face to hear that. _

_"I promise. Now stand up straight and mind your manners." _

_Grace who was now happy to have met another older calf, played with Mrs. Calloway throughout the day in the field of lovely bluebonnets. When the sun got too hot that afternoon, the two sat under the shadows of the apple trees and ate an apple which was delicious and tempting. When summer arrived, the trees were greener than ever as the apples grew redder and bigger. Every morning, Grace was fed by Pearl with a bottle of plain ordinary milk. Mrs. Calloway had taught Grace the importance of helping others out as Pearl gathered the apples in many baskets. Sometimes she was rather stiff, proper and fastidious with a few rules such as chewing with your mouth closed, not talking with your mouth full, don't play with your food, being patient, saying "please" or "thank you" or to say "excuse me", but Grace didn't mind. She highly respected those lessons. But one time, when the two were taking an ordinary walk through the flower field, an annoying woodpecker flew down close to Mrs. C and knocked over her purple hat to carry it back to his nest. This had filled her up with so much fury that she charged his tree like a rampaging bull powerful enough to bring the hat back down to her. The woodpecker ended up dazed and unsteady for the rest of the day inside his hole. Learning that the hat was Mrs. Calloway's pride and joy, Grace remembered to always be careful never to knock it off, even by accident. Mrs. Calloway had taken a liking to Grace alright and since she was a lot older than her, she acted pretty motherly and protective of her, despite her tone deafness. Grace never argued or even tried to talk back to her since there didn't seem to be a reason for it. _

_As time went on with the seasons passing, Grace was no longer the shy, lonely, frightened calf as she used to be when she lived with a cruel owner. There were quite a few times when she felt sad every time someone from outside the farm asked about her real mother, but her friends found plenty of ways to cheer her up. She had grown to be a tall, athletic, and pretty blond heifer with a peace-loving personality. For a cow, her body seemed a bit similar to a deer (thanks to being fed deer's milk). It was delightful for her to watch the bees buzzing by and the humming birds flutter out in the bluebonnet field and she loved to sniff the pleasant aroma coming from them. It felt even more pleasant when the breeze pushed the flowers along her body when she sat down for a short rest. Spring and summer turned out to be her favorite time of the year. During the cold nights of winter, she and Mrs. Calloway were kept safe and warm inside their den with plenty of hay to eat and sleep on. The days were often fun with snowball throwing, sliding down a snowdrift, and skating on a frozen pond. And when it was time for spring to come, the snow would melt under the morning sun. Grace was feeling so happy here on the Patch of Heaven farm that she didn't stop to think about why she came here in the first place, neither did she care. She had family and friends to keep her company with Pearl feeding them the right foods. No one was there to yell, smack, or starve her when she got them mad and Pearl swore that she'd never allow any scoundrel to lay harm on any member of her family. They all must have had a story to tell, but in the end they were lucky enough to be brought here just like her. Everyone was grateful for that. All had been well and nothing else changed much. Nothing had changed before the arrival of a show cow named Maggie, but that's another story.**

* * *

**_

"So that's how it all happened?" Maggie asked when Grace had nothing more to tell. Her story was now over. "You were raised by an unkind master, kidnapped, rescued, and finally brought here?" after everything she had heard, it was almost still hard for her to believe that this would happen to someone like Grace and she managed to stay sweet with the help of her friends.

"Yes," answered Grace, looking down at her front hooves. "I never thought it would suddenly come crawlin'…back to me just now." For a moment, she was silent. "I never wanted to remember anything of it…" she stiffened her lip as if she was close to crying. The tone in her voice turned unsteady as she prepared to explain the worst part. "…In my dream, I was walkin' through a field of flowers enjoying the sweet smellin' atmosphere. Then somethin' had grabbed the back of my legs and I couldn't escape. The sky had turned dark and grey as the flowers withered and turned into dust, fragments of every memory were gatherin' in the form of a cloud bringin' more hurt to me. No matter how hard I tried to make it go away, it stayed there ignorin' my pleas. Then another pair of hands touched my shoulders tighter than I'd never imagined. I was thrown on the ground violently as more clouds gathered to show me more images of what I didn't want to see. It seemed as if they were tauntin' me, tellin' me I was never meant to be raised with love by my real mother as I was taken from her. I tried callin' for help but no one answered. Afterward, the visions faded but I still held down by invisible hands. Then he came along, my owner stood before with a horrible grin plastered over his deformed face. And in his hand, he held the same hot iron that he had planned to mark me with. All I could do was watch in horror as he moved it higher and aimed it at my heart. And just before that iron touches me…I scream and wake up."

With that nightmare mentioned, Grace became bombarded with negative emotion as she threw herself on the pile of hay breaking into sobs. Now she wished she never talked about it, but it was too late. It was what caused an old wound to reopen and force the truth out to her friends. Nobody else in the family now knew of her past but them. Ever since then, she had been haunted by other old hurts that have caused her grief, doubt, and silence among her friends. But she had also worried the rest of the family with her silence, including Pearl. With it, she had nearly hurt others as she was hurting herself. She already knew what it felt like to be taken away from someone who might have loved you dearly, even if you couldn't quite remember them that well.

"No more," she heard Mrs. Calloway tell her as a hoof rubbed down her shuddering back. "None of us can stand to see you lose it like this when there is nothing more for you to fear. You haven't forgotten already have you? It's over now, the past is over. It's time to let go of what you just told us and look at what's going on now. You're not a tiny calf anymore. I mean look around for once, you have a family that loves you and would never leave. Yes, there are times when events such as bankruptcy happen upon us, but we're still here and that's what counts."

Then Maggie came over and added, "Your old friends wanted you to be safe and happy, even if they couldn't be with you anymore. Believe me; I felt the same way when I lost the home I grew up on. But like you, everything turned out alright in the end. Know what I mean? I bet wherever they are right now, they're thinking of you; of how happy you must be. They wouldn't want you to worry about them."

Grace stopped sobbing and turned her head to face her two friends with her pink eyes still stained with tears. She didn't think of how else to react to their comforting words. "I don't know what else to say," she sniffled.

"Don't think about the past," Mrs. Calloway declared. "Think of what you like to see on this farm, the bees, the birds, the beautiful flowers. Think of pleasant things happening tomorrow.

"Ok, if you insist," Grace said weakly. "But I can't stop thinking about it. No matter how hard I try, it's like a sickness seeping in. Although I'm really grateful that I made it through, I'll never understand why I was taken from my real mother."

Just when she thought she had no more tears to shed, some new ones were forming in the corners of her eyes. Maggie and Mrs. Calloway looked at each other sadly for a moment and could only stay beside Grace as she poured out her aching heart. Perhaps talking her into being happy again was not the right way to handle this problem of hers. What she needed was time to let the hurt slip away and fade in the back of her mind. For them, that would take some more time and patience. For a while now, they allowed her to let out the rest of her grief until she would regain her composure and be willing to talk to them again. Even if the two weren't that good with handling hurtful feelings, it was time they started to give it a try and see how it turns out. Everything Grace had told them weighted on her heart as it did when she was younger. Talking about it seemed to have made it feel a lot worse more than making it feel better. Nobody ever liked to talk about bad memories because of the hurt inside.

As Grace went on crying, she listened closely as her friends kept reminding her that what happened was now over; she was safe and sound with them. And if her cruel owner did show himself in front of them, they would take care of him just like they took care of Slim and his hooligans. The more she listened to their gentle words, the less grief she felt. Tonight, no harm would befall upon her. Her friends were her family and always will be. They were here to protect and look out for her without keeping their eyes off. It pained her to think about her other old friends, but part of them would always remain with her. No one is ever alone when they make a friend, even if they're not with you anymore. Throughout the rest of the night, Grace closed her eyes to concentrate on what tomorrow would bring. She would be walking amongst the flower field breathing in the heavenly, pleasant aroma with her friends. No longer did she sleep with worry, but with peace. On the morning when she wakes up, everything will be alright, as long as she had a family; always.

**The End**

* * *

**Disclaimer**:_ All characters of Home on the Range are the property of the Walt Disney Company. Fan-made characters that do not appear in the film are made and belong to me. Inspiration for this story came from an old wound that I'd rather not talk about. As long as I have friends, it won't hurt and bother me as much. I'd like to thank EsmeAmelia, Teentails, and Goveg for reading and reviewing. For those of you that own the HOTR soundtrack, turn to the last song Anytime You Need a Friend (not the pop version) by Alan Menken when you read the last two paragraphs of this chapter. It would add a more dramatic feel to it. Once again thank you, and now I'm off to work on my next story: Coal Mine Canyon._


End file.
